Dead Runner
by kimberlybluebelle
Summary: Kailey Hall is twenty-three and on the run from the dead. She is discovered by a group of survivors and begins a new look on life with the dead. Daryl/OC please read and review! the story is way better than my summary! Rated M for my potty mouth! :
1. No Man Left Behind

Chapter 1: No Man Left Behind

_Leaves crackled unceremoniously under her feet as she scrambled away from the safe haven. Her feet were covered by a pair of hiking boots that had once donned a lumberjack who went by the name of Poot and were several sizes too big for her. They were the first thing she could get her hands on in such a hurry. As the foliage crunched beneath Poot's boots her heart pounded harder and quicker in fear but she refused to look back. There was too much at stake._

_She had seen smoke; there was no mistaking that. There was someone else in these woods and by God she would find them and bring them back. _

Daryl Dixon cussed softly under his breath as Rick spoiled yet another trap. The man peered contritely at him while Shane rose from the crouched position he had adopted over his hunting lesson. Daryl rubbed his temples crossly before rising from his haunches. Whose brilliant plan was it to teach these goons how to hunt game? Oh yeah, his.

"Well," he remarked while stretching. "It looks like y'all gon' be eatin' squirrel again tonight."

Both Rick and Shane's stomachs squirmed at the awful thought but they did their best to hide it and show some form of appreciation for the hunter. Not only did he provide the group with large and small game to eat but had offered his own efforts to teach the two men how to hunt. If it hadn't been for the fact that Rick had a minor tendency to fidget the crew would have been able to enjoy a nice deer for a change. Daryl made sure to remind them both of that.

However, if he was to be honest with himself, he wasn't sure it was Rick's fault the deer spooked or something else. Maybe he was going crazy but he could swear he heard something heading in their general direction.

"Listen, man, I'm sorry," Rick began apologetically. Daryl shushed him with a hand and motioned for them to crouch back down. There was definitely something coming. It didn't sound like a walker; its movements were too steady for that. But then again these things were full of surprises.

It tumbled out of the trees and stumbled into the stream where the trio was stationed; letting out a light gasp as it fell. Walkers didn't usually gasp and this one didn't seem to notice them or smell them or even want to find them. It gracelessly rose up from its fall and began to frantically race back up towards the highway. Great, there was a fast walker heading towards camp; better kill it quick.

"Hey!" he shouted maliciously with his crossbow aimed for its face.

It stiffened before turning to face him. Suddenly he noticed that it wasn't the gook he had expected but a girl. She couldn't have been older than twenty-five with blue eyes and brown streaked golden hair that was tied into a messy pigtail on the right side of her head. She looked horrified but very much alive. Rick and Shane immediately stood from their hiding spots to rush to the damsel. She whimpered softly at the sight of them and began scrambling away from the seemingly imposing men; she was headed back the way that she came now. Immediately they began to follow but it was Shane that caught the girl by her forearm yanking her around to face them. If it had been a man, Daryl would have his bow out and ready to fire but the poor thing in front of them seemed too distressed to handle something like a crossbow to the temple. She moaned softly before trying to squeeze past them but Shane held her back.

"Have you been bit?" he demanded sternly. She frantically shook her head before trying to push past them again. Rick held her by her shoulders and looked her in the eyes while Shane and Daryl checked her briefly for wounds or bite marks. She didn't appear to have any. There was a little blood on her shirt but nothing that raised alarm.

"What's your name, darlin'?" Rick asked gently.

She didn't answer the question, just bit her lip nervously while eyeing Daryl's crossbow.

"We aren't going to hurt you. My name's Rick," Rick comforted. "What are you doing out here by yourself? Do you have anyone else with you?"

She nodded her head before taking the former Sheriff's hand in her own and dragging him towards where she had been trying to run back to. With urgency in her eyes she pointed her hand forward and began another panicked trek through the woods. The men followed her and they all seemed to wonder the same thing. How did this woman survive this long in these woods?

She led them to a small ramshackle cottage just a few miles west of where they were hunting. It was in a small clearing and it looked like the most unstable shelter for these dark and dangerous times. Just a few feet away from the door were two walkers with their skulls smashed to bits. The girl raced up the porch and beckoned them inside. The men hesitated briefly but went in behind her anyways.

Inside was a man with a full head of grey hair lying on the couch and he seemed to be in a considerable amount of pain. There was blood pooling from a wound on his ankle and no one had to guess where it came from. The man groaned before the girl raced beside him. Daryl raised his bow prepared to shoot the two of them. The girl could be lying about being bitten.

"No, I told you not to come back here," he scolded, trying to shoo her away as she knelt down next to him. "I told you to find help and never come back! You know what's going to happen to me, so go!"

The girl gave the man a dark look before shaking her head and pointing towards the three men who still lingered by the door. The older man gasped before limping away from her and them.

"Please, take the girl and go…" he pleaded with his hands raised. "I don't want her here when I…" He didn't want to finish the sentence.

"How long ago were you bitten?" Rick asked, lowering his hat. The girl went from the floor to the kitchen where she found water bottles. She pulled out a plastic cup and poured the water into it, handing it to the infected man when she had finished.

"'Bout an hour or so ago, the fever hasn't kicked in yet," he answered honestly. "Are you men…?"

"No, we aren't," Rick answered before the man finished. "May name is Rick Grimes. We have a camp up the stream a ways back from here. Your girl gave us quite the scare. Do you have a name?"

"Charlie," the man answered gruffly as he turned down the scraps of food that the girl offered him. "No, child, you save those for yourself. There's no savin' me now."

"What's her name?" Daryl finally asked unable to ignore the pleading look in her eyes every time she looked at them.

"Kailey." He was cut off by the sound of glass shattering. It seemed that she had smashed a plate in frustration. "I think she's got it in her head that you can fix me… She also don't like when I call her by her name."

"Is she mute?" Shane asked cautiously. Charlie shook his head.

"Not that I'm aware of. Catatonic is more the word to describe her," Charlie said sympathetically as the two of them had a staring match. "I've been trying to get her to talk but I haven't had much luck so far."

"She your daughter?" Rick asked.

"No," Charile replied. "Her group passed through here about a month ago. Turns out she hasn't been speaking to anyone for a while now. They left her behind with me. Thought she was too much trouble, I imagine."

"So what happened to you?" Shane murmured. It was clear that the man was going to go downhill pretty quickly.

"Well the little miss and I were out for a walk and were attacked. Thank God she wasn't hurt at all. I made sure of that. I'm not so lucky though," he answered, gesturing towards his ankle before settling on the couch. "Please, you have to get her out of here… and if your armed friend could do me the courtesy… I wouldn't be able to thank you enough."

Daryl lifted his bow to level with the man's eyes. "You sure you want this?"

"Yes," the man answered calmly. "It'll be better this way. I won't have to suffer before or after death."

Suddenly there was something in the way of Charlie's face. It was her. She glared coldly at him before she stood in the bow's line of fire. This girl did not know when to give up. But after a moment her glare turned into a face filled with sorrow. Daryl couldn't really blame her. After being tossed aside by a group of people this man was the one who kept her safe. He sighed and lowered his weapon.

"Now listen, child," Charlie chastised sitting up with a groan of pain. "You know what's going to happen to me now. I know you know because you screamed like you ain't ever screamed before when that thing got hold of my boot. There ain't no cure for this and you gotta let these men help me keep what little dignity I have left."

The girl shook her head anxiously and scowled deeply. She seemed to be reliving a memory worse than this one.

"Kailey?" Rick ventured, stepping forward with his hand held out to her. "I know it's tough to say goodbye but how about you and I go on ahead and I can bring you to our campsite?"

She shook her head wildly and tried to knock the bow from Daryl's hand. It was more than obvious that she was trying to stop Charlie from opting out of his torment. Daryl grunted and nudged her aside. Shane wrapped a gentle yet firm arm around her, locking her body into his chest, and began to take a few slow steps backward. She struggled in earnest at first then finally gave up and settled on weeping silently with her hands outstretched towards him.

"Thank you…" Charlie whispered hoarsely. "Good luck to you, Kailey. I hope you find your voice again."

"I'd get her outta here if I was you," Daryl said without pity. "This ain't gonna be pretty."

Shane's grip tightened and he began to back towards the door. She didn't fight him this time and soon they were outside of eyesight. Daryl may not mind killing this man but he would mind doing it in front of a frightened woman. There were some things girls shouldn't have to see. This was one of them.

"Look after her, please," Charlie murmured not to Rick but Daryl. Why was he talking to him? "I don't know why those people left her behind. She is a sweet girl. She's lost her fiancée and family… her friends left her here with me and now I'm… going to…"

"Die," Daryl finished for him.

"Thanks for sugarcoating it," Charlie murmured sarcastically. "Promise me that you people won't leave her behind."

"We won't," Rick vowed.

As Charlie nodded his head and closed his eyes Daryl released the trigger on his crossbow. Better to surprise the guy with it. He wasn't going to die afraid that way. The Sheriff and the hunter stood for a moment in silence.

"Do we even got room for her?" Daryl asked gruffly. "We'll have to pick up supplies if we are bringing her along."

"There's food here, let's take what we can for now. She can ride in your truck," Rick answered coolly. "You don't mind having a riding buddy, do you? I think she will keep quiet."

"Nah, it's fine," Daryl said quietly as he began to pack up some canned goods and preserves that were scattered in the cupboards. Apparently this Charlie guy was living off of canned soup and Ritz crackers.

After the raid they stepped outside where they found Shane leaning against the porch. Kailey sat with her head between her knees trying to catch her breath. Over to their right was a small puddle of vomit. Shane didn't seem to like her very much. He probably wouldn't like having to keep her around camp either. Then again, Shane didn't seem to like anybody since the Sheriff came around. Rick sighed and knelt beside her.

"It's done," he murmured softly but this brought no response. All she did was stand up and walk inside the cottage. They waited outside wondering how much space to give her.

After a few minutes she emerged from the house with three backpacks: one slung across her left and right shoulders and the third she held in her left hand. She eyed them apathetically before turning and heading deeper into the woods. Rick caught up with her and placed a hand on her shoulder before she took more than two steps.

"Listen," he pointed towards the still open door, "I made your friend in there a promise. There's no way anyone could survive that forest, not alone at least."

"I could," Daryl argued obstinately. Rick gave him a slightly bemused glance.

"Except for this guy, maybe," he appeased, nodding in Daryl's direction. She turned her head to stare briefly at him before facing Rick again. "Now, I'm giving you the chance to come with us. There are more people at the campsite and we do alright by ourselves."

Kailey bit her lip, trying to weigh her options. She had been staying with Charlie for a while and he hadn't seemed to mind her silent lament. She had the strong feeling that this group would. She looked at the other two men briefly. The man with the shaved head had the same look in his eyes that plagued hers. He had done something bad too…

The other one looked like a hillbilly. Yes, that was the best way to describe him; a good for nothing hillbilly. He cocked his brow at her before crossing his arms over his chest. Despite the fact that he had just put her friend down like a dog he seemed to be fairly loyal and trustworthy. Kailey liked people like that.

The man in front of her seemed hell bent on saving her life and she hated that. Before all of this had happened she used to be such an optimistic and upbeat woman. Now, she just wanted to be left the hell alone; to feel on the outside what she felt on the inside. At some point in the past four months she had stopped feeling the pain and the horror and now just felt empty. Most mornings she didn't want to make it through the day. She did because she had made a promise. Just like Rick had promised Charlie. She reckoned she could honor his wishes and join them in their travels. She nodded her head slowly.

"Well then, we had better get going. It'll be dark soon," Rick said as he patted her shoulder and pointed to Shane and Daryl. "That there is Shane and the one with the crossbow is Daryl. You need anything you just holler for one of those two."

"I don't think she's gonna do much talking," Shane noted. He seemed irritated with her already. She nodded her head without shame. He rolled his eyes. "She's gonna be helpful, ain't she?"

"Shut up," Daryl hissed, nudging the former cop. "If she wants t' talk she'll talk."

Shane just rolled his eyes. This was just going to be another pain in the ass for him to deal with.


	2. Friendly Fire

Hello, everyone! It's me, your friendly writer! (:

I've recently fallen in love with the Walking Dead and right away got this character trapped in my head so I began writing her story and thought that maybe others would like to hear it!

Let me know what you think! (:

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><p>Chapter Two: Friendly Fire<p>

She was trying to remember names.

The blonde was… Alison? Abigail? Something with an A.

The Asian was… well, Asian but she was pretty sure his name was George or something with a G… GLENN! His name was Glenn. Fabulous, one name down!

The men that found her were Shane, Rick and Daryl. That much she remembered. Rick was a Sheriff and Shane was a cop. Daryl was the hillbilly.

The brunette and her kid were Rick's family. Lori and Charles? God this was impossible! The other kid's name was Sophia which she remembered because she actually liked that name. Her mother's name was Carol.

The black man was T-Dog. She remembered that name because it was a stereotypical name.

The old man's name was Dale. Maybe? Yes?

She settled into camp quickly enough. There wasn't a spare tent for her so Daryl offered to share his which made Kailey feel slightly uncomfortable but unable to voice her opinion. It was a large tent so it didn't really matter. She had her sleeping bag and he had is and Daryl was respectful of her silence. He'd ask if she needed anything before he hit the hay, she'd always shake her head to say no, and then he would zip himself up. She was always out of the tent by dawn; she never slept anymore. She couldn't even remember a night where she got more than an hour or so of rest.

Sometimes she would stay with him while it was his turn to stand watch over the campground. They wouldn't speak and they always sat at least two feet apart from each other but they would often look at the other. Not side glances but with full eye contact. Kailey learned more about people when they were silent than when they talked. One night Daryl actually ventured conversation with her.

_"Ya really dun like talking, huh?" he asked as they both were staring up at the speckled sky. He held the binoculars in one hand while she was puffing away on a cigarette._

_Her eyes widened a little in surprise. She was used to everyone else trying to speak with her but she never thought that Daryl would do the same. She frowned before shaking her head, determined not to look back at him._

_"Musta been awful…" he mused. She turned her face towards him, breaking her internal promise to ignore him, and scowled. She hated pity. He chuckled a little at her fury. "What? Whatever happened to you made ya shut yuh trap for God knows how long. I've never known a girl that could keep quiet for more than five minutes!"_

_She gave him a small grin before resuming her original position. She was going on her fifth month of silence at this point. Kailey found it odd that she was finding a friend in the hillbilly. He was actually pretty nice to her. Not that he could get her to speak; no one was nice enough to do that._

She wasn't rude by any means and she was actually quite useful. She was often seen helping the women with the laundry or even trying to catch a few fish. Her silence was unnerving however. And even though everyone would like to think that humanity had changed since the walkers took over, people would still be people. These people had questions. Daryl didn't mind her silence but everyone else seemed to think that someone who had nothing to say was nothing but trouble.

"She's just creepy," Carl complained with a shudder as Kailey passed by. Daryl's frown deepened as Shane praised the boy.

"Carl," Lori scolded. "She's a very nice girl. Go help Sophie pack; we leave early tomorrow morning."

"But, Mom," the boy whined.

"_Now_, Carl."

He sighed before dragging his duffle bag over to the twelve year old and they both began stuffing the nonperishable items inside. The two became instantly engaged in conversation and Daryl didn't have to wonder what they were talking about. Since she had arrived a month ago, Kailey had become the center of conversation.

"She's got to go," Lori mused softly as she rubbed her rapidly swelling midsection. "I'm just not comfortable around her…"

"Come on," Dale piped up without much enthusiasm. "I'm sure she will talk when she needs to."

"She needs to now," Andrea barked. Rick paused stared at them all in disbelief; his group was never hostile like this. "We know nothing about her! For all we know she could be some cannibalistic freak!"

"I'd disagree there," Lori huffed. "But she has to be hiding something. If a walker came up behind any one of us I honestly don't think she'd say anything. And that's a problem."

"Daryl, you guys share a tent… Does she say anything to you at all?" Glenn asked. Daryl shook his head.

"Nope, an' it ain't nobodys business if she does or doesn' talk." He narrowed his eyes at the group who sat around gossiping like a group of children.

Rick ran a hand through his hair before pulling the hunter aside. "Look, everyone around here seems to have a problem with her…"

"And?"

"And I can't keep sticking up for her. She needs to open up or else these guys will never trust her," Rick said in a hushed tone.

"Whaddya wan' me to do about it?" he asked defensively. "She ain't my responsibility, Rick."

"Yeah, but she's taken a liking to you. She seems to like you more than anyone else here… Just do it for me, as a favor," Rick requested with a grin.

"Fine," Daryl agreed somewhat sullenly. "Give me till tomorrow."

That night the two of them shared the watch. It started like always; she was sitting Indian style facing the beach chair that Dale often occupied while Daryl kept his face in the binoculars. She was silent as ever but her body language cried serenity as she sucked on her cancer stick. Every so often he would glance at her. She was actually very pretty with bright blue eyes and golden waves in her hair that mixed with dark brown ringlets. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't a little curious about her. He wanted to know what she was like.

Kailey often found herself comparing and contrasting this life with her old one. In her old life she would never take the time to gaze at the night sky or search her soul for answers. She also would have never dared to be seen with her present company. But now things were different; the stars were a constant that she needed and her spirit needed to be explored. The redneck wasn't so bad either. In a year everything had changed. She kept a little planner in her backpack that had a five year calendar in the back pages and every day she marked off the say with a single line through it. Her new life was defined by these lines and her prayers for time to pass by quickly for her.

"Ya know it ain't good for ya," he ventured tentatively. "Keepin' quiet like that."

She stiffened a little before tearing her eyes away from the stars. She looked at him with chagrin as she rose onto her feet ready to leave the watch. He grabbed her hand.

"Don't get all pissy on me," he grumbled looking her in the eyes. "I'm just sayin' that it wouldn' kill you to throw us a bone an' work out those pipes."

She huffed at him. It was no good, this girl wasn't planning on speaking for the rest of her life.

"What? Just tryin' to help ya out," he complained as she sat back down with her back turned to him.

They stayed like that for the rest of the watch. It was no different than any other night but Daryl found it odd that he wanted more from her. He actually wanted to know what her voice sounded like. He wanted to know what she was thinking. He wanted to know who she was before all of this. After a short while T-Dog came to relieve the two of them.

"You guys better get some rest. We've got an early morning," he said as he plopped down into the beach chair.

Kailey decided to sit with T-Dog that night. It suited Daryl just fine; he had a plan to get at least a word out of her. And he got the feeling that once that first word escaped, they all would.

_She was running again; her feet now thudding against the dirt floor of the camp where her and her hometown friends had settled. Something was wrong… The hunting group had returned and Seth hadn't come to their tent yet. He should have come to her first, he always did._

_Everyone was huddled around Mark and Seth. She let out a relieved sigh. He was okay. She smiled and prepared to rush into his arms but Mark held his arms out holding her back. That's when she saw it; the bite on Seth's arm. And then she screamed. She screamed so loudly that it burned in her throat. He couldn't go! He couldn't!_

_Mark was shaking her now but even in Kailey's horror she knew that this wasn't supposed to happen. Mark never shook her… _

She started waking up.

_But there was more to this… She was there when he died… She didn't want to wake yet. She longed to see his face even in dreams._

_Seth held a hand out to her, his mouth opening to speak…_

"Kailey!" Daryl said forcibly, jostling her shoulders. The whole camp was awake now and T-Dog looked nothing short of disturbed. Out of nowhere the girl started screaming. Anyone would be startled by that.

Her eyes opened in gut wrenching horror. The look on her face was tortured and she had tears clearing the dust from her face in little trails down her cheeks. Daryl frowned and shook her lightly to pull her out of her stupor. She was gasping now like a fish out of water and searching wildly for something. He kept his hands around her shoulders while hers clawed into his forearm. She was shaking wildly.

"Kailey," he repeated. "Look at me."

She followed his instructions as Rick climbed up the side of the RV. T-Dog lowered his eyes, feeling out of place. Rick knelt down beside Daryl.

"Everything okay here?" he asked as Kailey tried to catch her breath.

She nodded her head slowly but her face looked green like she was ready to vomit.

"Yep, just a nightmare," Daryl said mostly to the woman in front of him, trying to calm her down.

"Well at least we know she's got a set of lungs on her," Rick mused before patting her on the back. "And looks like she woke us up just in time… Come on, everyone; let's get ready to move out."

Daryl helped her to her feet but she still looked a little woozy so he climbed down first, just in case she lost her footing. She got off the RV easily enough but shuddered and leaned back when she reached the ground; staring into the woods as if she was reliving what brought her to silence. After a moment of heavy breathing she fell onto her knees again, weeping without any shame or dignity.

The women flocked to her; offering comforting hands and words. Daryl scoffed. For all the shit they had talked it was funny how their tunes suddenly changed. He growled silently before stomping off to his tent to pack up. He tore through the tent throwing her leftover items in her third backpack where she had at least five cartons of cigarettes. Nasty things. He didn't like them much. After he had tossed her things in her backpacks he began rolling up the sleeping bags, occasionally peeking outside of the tent to see if she was alright. She seemed to be in good enough hands so he packed away the tent and loaded everything into his truck, tucking a map into his pocket.

"I want to lead this time," he said to Rick as they began their usual huddle before the journey. They were leaving Georgia hoping to find refuge in Louisiana.

Rick nodded his head in consent as he passed out walkie-talkies to everyone. "You know the drill; any problems give a shout and we stop."

Kailey climbed into the passenger seat of the truck and rested her head against the window. She had stopped crying but her eyes were still puffy and red. Daryl started the truck and set off. They didn't want to risk the interstate so they were going to travel down back roads for the start of their trip. Kailey rubbed her eyes and got cozy. She was planning on sleeping through this drive.

"Uh-uh," Daryl chided as he handed her the map. He had marked where they had to turn with a red sharpie. "I'm a responsible driver; can't take my eyes of the road. Let me know when I hafta turn."

She stared at him incredulously as she held the map in her hands. The look in her eyes was practically damning him to the seventh pit of hell and a scowl was forming on her face.

"Don't look at me like that," he grumbled humorlessly. "I'm pretty sure a turn's comin' up… where am I goin'?"

She glared at him before studying the map. She knew exactly what he was trying to do and it wouldn't work. She would not disgrace her vow of silence with simple directions. Not no way, not no how.

She tapped on his shoulder and pointed left when the turn came. He chuckled before putting his blinker on and making the turn.

"Fair enough," he said, trying to think of something else.

For a better part of the trip they played the game her way. It was really a stupid plan because most of the roads they were turning on were the only roads for a few miles. Finally he noticed it. Up ahead was a dead end; you could go right, left, or head first into a large tree. He smirked.

"Right or left?"

She pointed right.

"Sorry, didn't catch that."

Her eyes narrowed before she pointed to the right again.

"Can't take my eyes off the road," he repeated smugly, touching the gas pedal a little harder. "Right, left or tree?"

She pointed right for the third time; eyeing the very large tree with unease.

"Hurry up an' tell me or we're gonna have a brawl with that tree," Daryl bargained without looking at her. "An' I learned the hard way that the tree always wins."

They got closer and closer to the end of the road and she kept pointing to the right. He ignored her. Okay, so it wasn't a good plan but it was still a plan. She reached over to grab the steering wheel and he knocked her hand away; causing the car to swerve.

"Dixon, are you drunk?" Shane, who was driving directly behind him, demanded into his walkie. "Where the hell are you going?"

"Kailey," Daryl tried again. "Right or left."

She tried in vain to point out the directions. Within another thirty seconds they would be slamming into a giant trunk.

"Jus' say it for Chris'sakes!" he shouted, ignoring the blaring horns honking behind him. Fifteen seconds and they would cause a major pileup, destroying their only means of travel.

Kailey sucked in a deep breath, her heart beating a little faster. Then all of a sudden…

"RIGHT!" she hollered at the top of her lungs but even that was no louder than Daryl's normal speaking voice. Months of silence had left her vocal cords hoarse and slightly unsure. Her eyes closed tight waiting for the impact but it never came. Daryl yanked at the steering wheel and made the sharpest turn his driving history had ever seen.

The walkie was going crazy. Daryl sighed with relief and a certain amount of pride. His stupid plan turned out to be brilliant. Kailey was holding a hand over her mouth like she had just uttered a curse in front of the pope.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we've got our first word!" he said into the walkie.

"Are you serious? Dixon, I'm gonna kill you!" Shane snarled. "You almost crashed the cars!"

"Don' worry, Walsh, we're okay," Daryl responded sarcastically.

"What was it?" Carl asked excitedly, stealing the walkie from his mother's lap. "What was her first word?"

"Right," Daryl confessed smiling at Kailey who took no notice of the conversations going on around her.

It was over, the one promise she had wanted to keep to herself was over; if she let this go then that meant that she had to let go of Seth. Her silence had been broken. The glass house shattered. With one word she had violated the memory of the one she had loved.

Oh God, what had she done?


	3. A Flood of Words

Hello, everyone! It's me, your friendly writer! (:

So this is just a short chapter because to be honest the next couple are going to be SUPER long.

Please review! As a writer it is very helpful to get some feedback! (:

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><p>Chapter Three: A Flood of Words<p>

They spent the rest of the ride in silence. She had handed him the map and without any warning unbuckled her seatbelt and crawled into the backseat. Daryl bit his lip in uncertainty. It's not like he did anything wrong. She wouldn't even look at him; she just sat there in the backseat with her head buried in her knees. She wasn't crying and if Daryl hadn't been looking closely he would have thought she had stopped breathing.

By late afternoon the caravan had stopped for a break. They had found a rather peaceful looking rest area to make camp and decided they would rest there for the night. Kailey wasted no time getting out of the truck and without so much as a glance towards the others rushed off to find solitude. Daryl wasn't too keen on the idea of her being by herself. As peaceful as this place seemed it could still be crawling with the dead.

Kailey wasn't concerned with the dead though, nothing really mattered to her anymore. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to wake herself from the nightmare that she seemed to be trapped in. She didn't want to be here with these people and that rednecked hillbilly! She wanted to be home! Home with her fiancée and her friends! She wanted to be able to call her mom when she was having a bad day or ask her dad for help when she had car trouble! She longed to know that at the end of the day she would be able to rest in the arms of the man she loved. All she wanted was to wake up…

But it wouldn't happen. There was no way to escape the agony her once full and happy heart had endured. As she sat alone she could only remember how hopeless this all seemed. All was truly gone to her. Even if, by some miracle, there was a cure for this savage pandemic that had annihilated humanity it would not treat what she had seen. Even if the human race persevered, destroyed the walkers and rebuilt civilized society, it would not restore what she had lost.

In the beginning of all of this there had been hope. It wasn't much but there was still some. She would feel it every time they touched; it was like a lit fire, warm and safe. He would look in her eyes and she wanted to start anew. The pain from the fatalities she had witnessed was lessened by his steady hand holding hers. When he would go away on the hunting trips she was fearful but when he always returned it brought her joy back tenfold.

Then he was gone in a day… He had been bit by a walker while hunting with Mark. He was Mark's responsibility and he had let them both down. Kailey would never forgive that man for his crimes against them. After Seth had passed of his fever and the group had left the area, she found that revenge was not as sweet as she had imagined it to be. No, its bitter taste still lingered in her soul. It growled and snarled deep in her gullet; threatening to escape and destroy her.

She could hear the snarls and rasping cries of her fury… They were loud enough to be heard outside.

She looked up and hitched her breath. A walker was racing for her, intent on devouring her and her broken heart. It was a woman. Her hair missing in clumps and her graying old flesh was dripping off her skeletal remains. Her jaw was slack and her eyes were focused on the meal before her. In her exhaustion Kailey wondered if it were better that it take her now. She prayed to be set free from all of this.

An arrow whizzed past the tree and struck the walker in her skull; its deathly torment ended in a final slump. An arrow… Kailey couldn't find any thanks for the intervention. She peered up at her rescuer without any gratitude.

"Ya shouldn't go off on yer own like that," he said sullenly. "Gonna get yuhself killed that way."

She nodded her head in assent, forgetting how to use her words. Talking was hard; silence was simpler.

"Ya mad at me or somethin'?" he asked, sitting down beside her.

She shook her head. A white lie wouldn't hurt the redneck.

"Coulda fooled me," he huffed grumpily.

She opened her mouth about to say something but thought against it.

"What was that?" he asked as he stared at her. She gazed at the walker but she could feel his eyes on her.

"Seth…" she murmured softly. It was the first time she had said his name aloud since she had lost him. Even that soft sound tore a thousand holes in her heart. Why hadn't Daryl let that walker kill her?

"Huh?" Daryl asked confused. "My name ain't Seth."

She shook her head with a rueful smile. "My fiancée… his name was Seth…"

"Oh."

She breathed in a constricted sigh; the least she could do was explain what he had ruined. "You are the first person I've spoken to since he died."

"Why?" If he didn't know any better he would have thought that this woman had lost her marbles.

She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip before she placed a hand over her heart. She could see him now; not how he was when he died but how he was before the walkers destroyed everything she knew. She could see his smile and could feel his arms around her. She could still hear his voice in her mind. She should never have left with the others. She should have waited until he woke up and let his undead self take her. She should have gone back to him. But, no, she let them take her away from him.

"Because I wanted what I said to him to be the last thing I ever said…" A tear rolled down her cheek. "I wanted him to be the last person that ever heard my voice."

"No offense, but that's kinda dumb," Daryl admitted plainly.

If his comment hadn't been plain old rude and insulting Kailey would have remembered that Daryl didn't sugarcoat anything. This was not the case. In fact, the only words that came to mind when she thought of him now were hillybilly dickhead asshole. He looked at her and wasn't really surprised that he had pissed her off. He had that effect on women.

"What?" he asked defensively. "I get that ya'd be upset that he died an' all but I don't really get why ya'd try to stop livin' after him."

She stared at him dumbfounded.

"If I loved someone like that I wouldn' want them to stop being happy if I went…" he finished slowly. "Jus' sayin'"

She nodded her head in half agreement. Anyone could say that her reaction was stupid but it was what she thought was best. The world may want her to move on but she didn't want that. Not yet, at least.

Daryl turned to look behind them and saw Dale standing a couple feet away. Great, the old coot had heard the whole thing. Now the guy was gonna think that he was some sensitive puss. Daryl rolled his eyes before directing his attention back to Kailey, who's eyes were drooping like she was going to fall asleep.

"Wanna come help me pitch the tent? Ya look exhausted."

She nodded her head not trusting her voice after her recent confession.

He helped her to her feet and let her walk ahead of him. Dale waved to her and smiled, making it seem like he hadn't heard a thing. She offered him a polite twitch that could barely pass as a grin but Dale accepted it anyway. Daryl tried to sneak past the old man but he was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"I know that look in your eye, kid," he said softly so Kailey wouldn't hear. "I've been around a long time and believe me when I tell you to slow down with this one."

"I dunno what yuh talkin' about," Daryl answered reproachfully.

"If you don't yet you will soon and trust me, she isn't ready for it."


	4. All the Sacrifices I'm Makin'

Hello, everyone! It's me, your friendly writer! (:

I just want to say thanks for all the readers out there! I'm glad you like the story!

P.S. don't say i didn't warn y'all that this would be a long one! this chapter is a huge chunk of this tale so far! :p

Reviews help the writing process! what would you guys like to see happen? What don't you like about the story? what do you like? let me know! (:

(Spoilers for the next chapter: please for your own safety and the safety of your keyboard pack tissues. You will also have a soundtrack reference. I was crying when I wrote this one!)

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><p>Chapter Four: All the Sacrifices I'm Makin'<p>

Daryl was careful with Kailey; treating her as if she was made of fine crystal, ready to break at any moment. He didn't have to worry though, since the incident in the truck, she had been handling herself with more grace and confidence than anyone had ever seen. It appeared to radiate from her core and it drew every member of their closely knit group towards her like a moth to a lantern. Both Lori and Andrea seemed to have embraced her as one of their own in the few short weeks since she had begun talking.

Daryl found that he was irritated with this. Now that she had the ability to fend for herself she had begun to drift away from him. She chose to spend her time with the women instead of him. They still shared a tent though so, even if she spent her days with the girls, the moment night fell she was his again. His. This word worried Daryl; he once considered himself the odd man out in the camp. Now he wanted to be close to her… To feel her arms around him. Now, on a hunt, he rested beneath a fir tree with a grim smile, counting out the game he had caught.

_Guess the ol' man was right,_ he thought as he prepared to head back to camp.

Kailey paused over the paper that she had managed to steal out of the RV; writing this note would be the easiest part of her evening. The hardest part would be leaving it behind. For the fifth time in the past ten minutes she put the pen to the paper to no avail. What the hell do you write to the folks who saved your life?

_Rick,_

Once again she stopped. Daryl was going to kill her for this. Not beat the shit out of her. Not shout her into next week. Just straight up murder her white, city girl ass. With a soft growl she tapped the pen against her forehead; this was not the time to think about Daryl. This had nothing to do with him or his opinions of her. She couldn't put this off any longer. Any hope would be gone by morning when he returned from the hunt.

_I would like to thank you and everyone here for everything that you have done for me. This isn't the easiest thing for me to do but I have to do something. A personal errand, if you would. I would appreciate complete privacy in this matter so please don't follow me or wait for me to return._

_Perhaps I will see you all again someday._

_Sincerely,_

_Kailey_

She sighed as she perused the scrap of paper. Was there anything else she wanted to say? Yes.

_PS. Please don't let Daryl come after me. Tell him I was eaten by bears or something ridiculous. And please thank him for everything that he has done for me. Without him I would never have found my voice and I'm glad for the time I have with it._

There, that wasn't so hard was it? She folded the scrap of paper and grabbed the roll of scotch tape also kidnapped from Dale's stash of odds and ends. With a heavy sigh she crawled out of her tent, leaving her backpacks behind so that no one would suspect. She crept to Rick's tent and taped the note to the front flap. Now to set up her ruse; it was a simple one; say she was going out for a pee break and then poof vanish like a magic rabbit. T-Dog was keeping watch and he was like putty in her hands.

"Hey, T-Dog," she whispered as she climbed up the side of the RV. He startled to his feet before turning to her and her bright smile.

"Damn, girl," he gasped, holding his hand over his heart. "Don't go sneaking up on people this late at night! Damn near gave me a heart attack! What the hell you doing up?"

"Sorry," she said softly. If she had known he wouldn't have been paying attention she would have just left. "I was just letting you know that I have to take care of a lady issue…"

"Why the hell are you telling me?" he questioned looking mildly uncomfortable.

"I'm going to be in the woods… just thought you ought to know…" she said with bemused smile. She would miss his tact, or lack thereof.

"Just don't get eaten by bears or nothing. Dixon will have my ass if you do," he grumbled before snuggling back into the beach chair.

She laughed at the irony of his statement before mumbling a brief 'see ya' and scampering to her tent. Now certain that he wouldn't be paying attention, she grabbed all of the things that she had condensed into two backpacks and headed off. First thing she had to do was get her hands on a car. Preferably a nice one but an old truck would work just as well. Then it was a six hour drive to where she was planning on going.

The woods always creeped her out, especially this late at night surrounded by darkness. She wasn't far in by any means but woods were still woods. She walked till dawn where she found a motel that the men had cleared out days before they found their current haven. The only problem with this place was the innkeeper who had obviously killed himself. They didn't want to frighten the kiddies so everyone packed up and left.

She crept inside the main door, ignoring the rank body as best as she could. There had been an old truck hiding out back with nearly a full tank of gas. Such luck could hardly be known to her! She hadn't told Rick about the truck and for that she reckoned she should have felt sorry. But she knew she would want this. She just knew. Now she had to get her hands on the keys, which were probably somewhere on the innkeeper. All she had to do was face a dead body. Oh sure, no biggie… This was obviously every little girl's dream!

"Mommy, when I grow up I want to loot a dead man's pockets!" she said to the empty room trying to joke her way through this. God only knows how long this dude had been deceased for!

"He's curled up his tootsies! He's shuffled off this mortal coil!" She was now quoting frigging Monty Python sketches! "This is is an ex parrot!"

_Oh my God, I've gone insane,_ she thought humorlessly as she lifted the decaying man's arm away from his front pocket. Bingo, truck keys.

The truck spluttered to life as she turned the key in the ignition. For all the hell she went through to get these keys this thing had better work! More than anything she hoped her plan worked. She knew it was stupid and she knew that it would hurt like hell to do this but that's why she had the gun. She hoped he hadn't gone yet. For the first time in her life she was hoping to catch a dead man.

"Whaddya mean she's _gone_?" Daryl snarled, pacing back in forth trying to contain the rage that was bubbling up inside of him. Could this sheriff do _anything_ right? First he chains his brother onto a fucking roof and now lets a twenty-something year old woman go running off on her own?

"Look, I'm not too happy about this either," Rick consoled, holding a piece of paper in his hand. "Do you have any idea where she would be going?"

"Fucked if I know!" Daryl growled throwing the squirrels that he had caught at the cop's feet. "What the hell ya got in yuh hand?"

"She left this…" Rick said hesitantly. How could he respect her wishes with Daryl making such a spectacle of this? The angry man nearly ripped the paper as he yanked it from Rick's hand.

He read it slowly, absorbing every word like a sponge. All of a sudden his face went cold and serious and he stalked off to his tent. Rick followed him anxiously. Daryl threw the note on the ground before going through her backpack, drawing out a leather journal and throwing it on the floor. Its pages were thick with maps and pictures. Seeming satisfied with what he found, he turned now to his bag and pulled out a walkie. Rick frowned at him.

"I shoved the other one in her cigarette backpack 'fore I left las' night… Just in case she got lost," Daryl muttered. "Forgot to tell her about it. It's got a new battery an' a pretty long bandwith."

"Didn't your mom ever teach you not to read other people's journals?" Rick asked, trying to distract the avid hunter as he tore through the journal, pulling out the two maps she had taped inside of them.

"I ain't gon' read much. Jus' need to find a thing or two," he answered haughtily. "I think I know where she's off to."

"And where is that?" Rick was answered by a hand in the air as Daryl clicked the button on the walkie.

"Kailey?"

There was silence.

"Girl, you get yuh white ass back here. Yer gon' get yuhself killed out there and that's on my head ya stupid bitch!"

"Fuck off, Dixon." A bell like voice chimed out of the device. "I'm not your problem anymore."

"Kailey?" Rick ventured, trying to remember his cop training. It was kind of like talking a man off of a building he guessed. "How's about you turn around and let us give you a hand with this?"

"Bite me, Grimes," she growled. "I thought I asked you to keep this a secret. So much for the killed by bears cover!"

"Don' go back there, Kailey," Daryl warned, trying to sound angry to hide his worry. "Whaddya think's gonna happen? He's just gonna greet ya with open arms? He ain't himself no more! He's dead and if ya go back to him ya gonna die too."

There was silence. What he had said struck a chord.

"… I'm counting on that…" Her voice was so soft and pained that they almost hadn't heard her.

"Kailey, you don't have to do this!" Rick protested, snatching the walkie from Daryl's hand.

"Thank you both for all of your help. Signing off." Her voice was choked and strained.

Daryl was out of the tent like a bee.

"THAT SON OF A BITCH REDNECK!" she shouted to the dashboard. He was nothing but a douche bag, poorly spoken and possibly inbred bastard!

She hated him! There was no other way to describe this boiling rage that was brewing inside of her. Hate, hate, hate! He was not going to ruin this for her! She had to do this and no one was going to tell her otherwise! She was going to be with him for the rest of eternity. It's what she wanted and that's what the constitution was all about. Life; she didn't want it. Liberty; she already had it. The pursuit of happiness; she would die for it.

CLARUUUUNK!

This was the awful sound that hit her ears along with a steamy sizzle that escaped the hood.

"What the fuck!" she shrieked as the car ceased all functions. "_Fan-fucking-tastic_!"

"Havin' fun?" Daryl's irritating voice escaped her backpack. She snarled. "Hope ya didn' take that truck I found behind that motel. Damn thing needs some oil, somethin' fierce."

"Oil…" she whimpered. So that's why her father had always been up her ass about checking her oil.

She fumbled into the backpack, pulling out the offending radio.

"Daryl Dixon, where do I find oil?" she blared into the walkie.

"Where can I find you?" he asked in response. She heard his truck going. Was he fucking serious?

"Stop it, you rednecked hillbilly! Leave me alone!" she hollered.

"That's a lil' harsh," he grumbled. "Just sit tight, I'll be there in a bit. Imma guess that yer on the in'erstate."

_Dammit, Daryl! Wait… oil... Gas station, _her mind chirped. _You used to work in one of those! They sell oil at gas stations!_

She left the walkie in the truck and pulled her backpacks onto her back with a sigh. Hopefully there was another car nearby so that she could get this show on the road. Or even more convenient would be a gas station where they were specializing in oil for old trucks. This whole thing was turning out to be a bigger pain in the ass than she thought it would be. Was it wrong that she was so callous with her own demise? Shouldn't she be playing damsel and running for the redneck's arms? Maybe she should do as he said and just wait for him.

But she knew Seth's fate and she couldn't leave him like that. She couldn't let his body walk the forest tearing apart wild animals as it decayed. She couldn't leave him to suffer after death. She would find him and put them both to rest. There was no one she would rather rest with.

She walked north for a good half an hour until she heard a familiar engine rumble behind her. She ignored it and the person who she knew would be behind the wheel. The engine stopped and the car door opened and closed. Then there was the heavy crunch of feet on gravelly pavement. She picked her pace up slightly. She didn't want to talk to him. He hated his guts! She hated his guy guts!

"Kailey," he hissed as he got closer to her, not bothering to try and hunt her down.

She ignored him. With a huff he crossed the distance between them in five quick strides and grabbed hold of her backpack. With a light tug she stumbled and fell backward into his arms. She leapt away from him furiously before throwing her bags on the ground.

"What part of leave me alone don't you understand?"

"Are ya _trying_ to get killed?" Daryl argued with equal force. She paused before turning around again. In response he held onto her upper arm. "C'mon, Kailey, le's go back to camp and talk this out with Rick or somethin'…"

"No, Daryl, I'm tired of talking!" she screamed, turning around to face him. "I'm sick of living!"

He stared at her baffled.

"I miss him, Daryl! I miss him every frickin' day! Someone says something and I think of him! I look at something and I see him! I sleep and he is there! Do you know what it's like needing someone who isn't there?"

"I almost found out today…" he said quietly.

"What?" She was caught off guard by the tenderness in his voice.

"When I got back and found ya weren' there… I was…" He paused, growing incredibly awkward with himself.

"You were what? I don't have time for this! I have to go!" She tried to walk away but he gripped her arm tighter. "Let me go!"

"What so ya can go and kill yuhself?" he shouted in her face. "I ain't gonna let ya do that!"

Whatever words Kailey had stored away in response were swallowed in surprise.

"Ya can' do that to someone," he continued, his blue eyes covered in rage. "Ya can't just walk out like it's no big deal."

"Daryl… I didn't mean to upset you," she murmured feeling like the scum of the earth. "I'm sorry…"

"Well if yer sorry then come back to camp. That damn truck of yers is useless anyways," he grumbled loosening his grip on her shoulders. "Maybe Rick 'n I can work somethin' out where we finish this side mission ya on."

"Look, no offense…"

"Offense taken," he interrupted. "I don' get why ya wanna go out there so bad."

She glared at him with her blue eyes ablaze. "What's there not to get? I can't just leave him like that!"

She stomped off her posture tense and sassy. Daryl had to admit that she was kind of cute when she had a bit of sass to her. He sighed before nudging a pebble into the middle of the road.

"Would he want this?" he asked her.

She froze as if he had just chucked something at her. She made a half turn and looked fiercely at him before her expression softened just a little.

"What?" Her voice was sharp like glass.

"If ya could ask him righ' now, would he want you to do this?" He folded his arms over his chest and impaled her with rigid stare. "Would he want ya runnin' off on yuh own to go head t' head with a walker, only to off yahself if ya survive?"

A sad smile played the corners of her lips. If Seth had any idea she was doing this he would shoot her with a tranquilizer, tie her to a tree, and not let her out of his sight till someone had talked some sense into her. But that was why they were such a good couple. She was always there to pull him on the crazy track and he was always there to pull her back. They balanced the other out. She was reckless and impatient and he was always patient and careful; she always over thought things while he kept it simple. The only thing they shared in common was love; the rest was the perfect balancing act. Every astrologer in the world would agree that a Pisces and a Libra were doomed. But Kailey and Seth defied those odds with ease.

With a sigh she pulled the little planner out of her backpack. Daryl watched this warily; afraid she might put a gun to her head here and now. Instead she opened the black book with such reverence that it could be confused for the Bible. To Kailey it was worth more than any religious relic; it was the one thing that tied both of her lives together. Her past was scrawled all over this book and her numbered days were printed in ink. This had to be done today. Today would have been a special day if the world had stayed the same. It would have been the most important day of her life. Sure it wouldn't have been any different for Daryl or Lori or even Dale, just a regular Tuesday evening. But to her it was precious and holy. She found it odd that she should remember such old dreams so vividly.

"Well?" Daryl asked, still waiting to prove her wrong.

She smiled sadly. "If the world hadn't ended, do you know what I would be doing right now?"

He shook his head in confusion. Okay, she had gone nuts.

"I would be getting my hair done and worrying if I had gained any weight. I'd cry over a zit and fuss over floral arrangements. Rosanne would probably be telling me to shut my face…"

"I dun get it…" Daryl responded in frustration. "What th' hell does this have tah do with anythin'?"

"Today was supposed to be my wedding day," she murmured coldly. "Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life! I'm supposed to be surrounded by my friends and family! I'm supposed to dance with my father and hug my mamma! I'm supposed to be worrying about the cake, not my next meal! I'm supposed to be in my wedding dress with my hair and makeup done by an overpaid bitch that I hired because I wanted today to be special! I'm supposed to tell Seth that I will spend the rest of my life with him and in love!"

Daryl shifted his weight uncomfortably. He never did well when girls were upset like this, it always made him feel out of place and unsure. He just towered over her and watched as she battled her demons. She never cried once though. All that torment and she never let one tear fall. He didn't like to admit this but he had begun to hate this Seth guy. He hated him for making this girl in front of him hurt and feel alone. He hated him because he still had Kailey's heart; he was competing with someone who wasn't even alive anymore.

With a scowl he left her side and yanked open the truck door and flicked the gas door open. Kailey stopped angrily glaring at the ground and watched him curiously as he pulled a hose and a gas container from the bed of his truck. He narrowed his eyes at her as he began to siphon the gas from the truck that she had found into his.

"What are you doing?" she asked weakly with the sound of defeat in her voice.

"Do ya wan' a ride or not?" he snapped as he drained the last of the gas and jammed his gas cap into place.

She nodded her head once before tossing her backpacks into the back seat and prepared to hoist herself into the passenger seat. Daryl placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from getting inside the vehicle. She stared up at him with apprehension and Daryl knew that somewhere inside of her she wanted to live.

"This ride ain't free," he said gruffly.

"Um, I don't think money is really a factor at this point…" she answered slightly confused. What could Daryl possibly want in return from her?

"If I give ya a ride, ya do what ya gotta do an' dun get yahself killed doin' it," he answered staring her down. "Ya stay with me an' don't do nothing stupid. Deal?"

Kailey bit down on her lip. She should have seen this coming but nodded her head reluctantly. She didn't care who she had to lie to at this point; she just wanted to see him again. Daryl released her from his grip and she clambered inside the truck eagerly. Her satisfaction faded as Daryl turned the truck around and began to head back towards the camp.

"Gotta let Officer Friendly know we ain't dead," Daryl said with a smirk as soon as he noticed the angry look on her face. "Relax or yer gonna piss me off."

"Isn't this a waste of time? We really should be going," she pressed. It had to be today.

"It's not like I'm gonna get pulled over for speedin'," he replied. "Quit rushin' me."

They arrived at the camp to a crowd of people all concerned for her wellbeing. Kailey cringed as the mass of people began to advance towards Daryl's vessel of choice. She didn't want to have to explain herself to them. She shouldn't have to. Daryl turned the truck off and in response Lori and Andrea practically shoved the other out of the way to reach Kailey. She locked the doors nervously. Rick approached the truck with a look that reminded her of her father. His body exuded authority. Daryl looked at her before nodding towards the cop.

"Can you talk to him?" she murmured softly as she curled her body up into a little ball.

He gave her an annoyed glare but nodded his head anyways. He got out of the truck and faced the crowd with an irritated look. They were practically ready to jump down her goddamn throat over this. Fuckin' vultures.

"She's okay?" Lori asked as she placed a hand over her rapidly growing stomach.

"Yeah, she wants to hunt down a walker."

Rick frowned at the usually apathetic man. Was he actually considering helping her with this? Rick had never seen his side of Daryl before and this side was fiercely protective towards Kailey. He tried to hide it but everyone could see it in the way he looked at the woman sitting in that truck. He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"You think that's a good idea?" Rick asked with a knowing look. If Kailey killed her fiancée's walker it could set her back into a worse depression than the one they found her in.

"Not really," he answered with a shrug. "Can' stop it though… migh' as well make sure she dun get hurt doin' it."

No one in camp wanted to see her go now; if not for themselves but for Daryl. The hunter had a new lease on life and he seemed to be much happier with her around. She seemed to be healing slowly with him around as well. It was warming to see. Rick looked at Shane first then the rest of the group before nodding his head.

"I'll come with you."

"Me too," Andrea added.

"No," Rick said sternly. "She doesn't need an audience. We'll leave in half an hour."

With that said Daryl went to his tent to gather some supplies: his crossbow, a gun, a large water bottle and a few granola bars. Rick was busy leaving Shane with some instructions on what to do in an emergency and exchanging walkie talkies with everyone. Daryl's investigation was cut short by Carol.

"Is she really alright?" the woman asked nervously, eyeing the truck like it had an abandoned kitten inside.

"She's fine," Daryl mumbled as he threw a few more items in his pack and began to walk away. "We'll be back soon an' ya can ask her yuhself."

"Just make sure she walks away from this alive," Carol urged as she walked away.

Shane was busy arguing with Rick about leaving the camp behind and undermanned again. It looked like he was the only one who had a problem with this because the rest of the crew loved Kailey. Daryl couldn't really blame them. Kailey was hard not to love.

By the time he sat down in the driver's seat she was fast asleep.


	5. The Lonely

Hello, everyone! It's me, your friendly writer! (:

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has read, subscribed, favorited, reviewed or all of the above! I only posted this yesterday and to see this much feedback is incredible! **THANK** **YOU**!

To my reviewers, I was so happy to hear that you loved the story thus far! Stay tuned, please! (:

So this chapter is relatively short but it's a doozy. Please pack tissues because I ruined a perfectly good sweatshirt writing this! Then again, it was like 3am and I was a little over tired...

I do have a song for this chapter. If you want to expierience the full emotional effects of this part please go to youtube or any other musical website and play The Lonely by Christina Perry. (I know, I know. Jar of Hearts is a terrible song, but the rest of her album is pretty fantastic!)

Once again, all forms of feedback are apprieciated. I am currently working on the next Chapter so I might have it up in a couple of days!

Lots of love! (:

-kimmy

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><p>Chapter Five: The Lonely<p>

"You didn't have to come, Rick," Kailey urged as they slowly began to approach her old campsite. She had just woken up and the sun was threatening to set on them.

"Just lookin' out for you," Rick responded politely. "Quite a coincidence that we are headed the same way you came from."

"Yeah… it must have been…" she replied softly as she searched the area.

They had left him outside by the tent that the two of them had shared. Inside of it she had left a few pictures she had of them. Just in case when he came back he still remembered. She knew he wouldn't but it had been slightly comforting to think that way at the time. She spotted the tent from a distance and asked Daryl to pull over. She opened the door and rushed out. She could hear her heart pounding in her skull.

He was here. This was going to be the last time she ever saw him.

"Kailey," Daryl hissed, "get your ass back here. Place coul' be crawlin' with walkers."

As if following some sick and twisted cue, a figure rose from its bleak position on the dirt floor. Her eyes went wide with horror and admiration. Daryl froze in his spot; he knew that the look in her eye meant nothing good. Rick must have noticed it too because he left the truck to try to coax her back inside.

"Seth…" she murmured, taking a step towards the dead fiend that was a few yards away from the trio.

He was just as she remembered him with his dark hair a mess and even though his skin was falling away from his body she could still see her love in his eyes. It was her Seth again. There and looking back at her… He began to walk towards her and she followed suit, walking one slow step after another. He looked so different but the same as well. Behind her she could hear Daryl and Rick arguing over something and beckoning her back but it didn't matter. They could wait. She hadn't seen him in so long…

"Kailey," Rick called softly. "You need to get back and let me and Daryl take care of this."

"Git back 'ere," Daryl begged.

She kept moving forward. Why wasn't Seth moving faster? Didn't he want to hold her back? She stumbled over her own feet and nearly fell to the ground. As she rose she let out a choked sob and walked a little faster. All these days without him, they had almost killed her but now she would be okay. He was here. She would make it through with him. Her walk turned into a jog as she tried to close the gap between her and her adored. She was supposed to be married today…

Daryl swore behind her and took aim. Rick stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, hoping that she could make the right decision. But she was unarmed. She never told them that she had no weapon.

She closed her eyes and her heart and soul traveled to a different time and place. She wasn't in a field wearing a dirty shirt and jeans but on a beach in her wedding gown. Seth's body wasn't oozing or graying, instead, he was donned in a new tux with a smile on his face. The same smile that she had fallen in love with five years ago. She wasn't by herself now; her father was walking her down the aisle. He was walking her toward her future. She was almost there… just a few more steps. A smile lit her face as another strangled cry escaped her throat. Why was she crying like this if she had found happiness?

She had found Seth. After what seemed like an eternity she had finally found him.

But something wasn't right…

Before she could even process what was happening two strong arms wrapped themselves around her. Why was her father pulling her away from Seth? He liked Seth. He wanted them to get married so why was he taking her away from him? She couldn't let him take her! She would not lose him again!

Then there was a gunshot.

It woke her up from her delusion and she let out a horrified scream. Her last moments with Seth were taken by someone! It had happened too soon! She hadn't been there to see him! She spent her time with him in her head. Now it was truly too late because he was on the ground with nothing behind his eyes. She pushed the arms off of her and ran to him just as she had when he had died the first time. Falling into his chest and weeping with the emptiness that had begun to consume her.

Gone. Gone. Gone.

_"You're not gonna die, baby," she whispered through tears as Seth had begun to fade out of consciousness. "You're gonna be just fine."_

_"You wouldn't be crying like that if everything was fine," Seth remarked as he grimaced past the pain. "I'm ready, you know..."_

_"Don't you say that!" she scolded trying to hold her sobs in. She wasn't stupid; she knew he only had a few more minutes at best. He felt like a furnace and he had recently vomited copious amounts of blood._

_"What?" he defended himself weakly. "You know I'm right." He wrapped a frail arm around her and she snuggled against him barely able to breathe._

_"Stop it!" she begged into his side. "You can't leave! I don't want you to go away!"_

_"I know, Kailey. There's nothing I can do about it though," he breathed softly. "I'm tired… Kailey."_

_She knew he was going to be gone in a matter of moments. He motioned for her to sit up and he looked into her eyes. It would be comforting for him to go if her eyes could be the last thing he saw._

_"Seth, I love you," she said earnestly. His eyes were beginning to close now. "I love you more than anything in this whole world! You are why I wake up every day. I look at you and I'm home and safe… I love you so much."_

_"I love you, Kailey. You know… I love you…" _

_His voice trailed off and his chest stopped rising or falling. _

_He had left her… _

Daryl tried to pry her off of the dead man but it was no use. She was clinging to what was left of his shirt and pleading for him to come back. The shell of the man she loved was no comfort to her and it never answered back. Rick finally knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He didn't tug or pull her like Daryl had. He only stayed there and kept a firm grip on her shoulder while she lay there crippled by her sobs.

"Kailey," he offered after a few moments. "We gotta go. You have to say goodbye."

She stopped her violent weeping to stare at the once-upon-a-time Sheriff. She seemed to be slowly waking from some black magic. She looked back from him to the corpse that she was hovered over. Daryl cleared his throat uncomfortably. She looked at him and nodded slowly. Rick smiled gently before offering to help her stand.

She eyed his hand warily before looking back at Seth's shell. It was only his body that had died but it killed her all the same. She let her hand rest against his cheek for a moment longer; trying to take comfort in the fact that this was truly the last time. There was no more Seth after this. They would bring her back to camp and she would have to learn to live with what she had lost. With a light kiss to Seth's forehead she took Rick's hand and stood up, leaning against the man for support as they walked back to the truck.

He helped her settle in the back seat and Daryl immediately tried to take the wheel. He would rather have to focus on the road than remember what he had just seen. She had thankfully stopped crying and now just rested her head against the window, staring where Seth had fallen.

"Rick…" They could barely hear her.

"Yes?" he responded gently, looking back at her from the passenger's seat.

"Can Daryl sit back here with me?... He's my best friend right now…" Her eyes were only half open and Daryl knew she was going to be falling asleep again soon.

Rick smiled soothingly before nodding his head. "If Daryl wants to he can sit with you. I don't mind."

"Could you?" she whispered as she focused her attention on the hunter.

He let out a grunt before giving up his right as the driver and tersely handed the keys to Rick. He would be way out of his element now. But as he climbed into the backseat beside her and offered her his chest to rest her head on he found that he didn't mind. She hesitated at first, unsure of how to react towards another man's touch, innocent or not.

As the truck started she almost got out. It seemed so very, very wrong to leave him like that again. It felt wrong to have what he used to be so close to her and as wrong as it sounded she wished that Rick and Daryl had left her there beside him. If she had been alone it would have been easier to embrace the end. As the old campsite faded away Kailey became more and more aware of Daryl's heartbeat in her ear.

After a few minutes it didn't matter because she was fast asleep again. Neither one of them had ever seen her get this much rest in one day.

"She gonna be okay?" Daryl asked the cop. It seemed selfish to him that he wanted her so much.

"I think so…" Rick mused. "She's a tough girl, that helps… We're just going to have to make sure we are there for her."

The man smirked as he noticed the way the two of them were nestled together. She was burrowed in his chest and he kept a loose arm draped over her shoulders. One hand was resting over her head, occasionally running it through her hair. She looked at peace with Daryl. Far from healed but for the moment she had found a tranquil place to recover. Daryl, who was usually the definition of expressionless, was staring down at her with wonderment and he held her as if she was the crown jewels of England.

"I don' think I've ever seen her sleep this much," he said irritably as he noticed Rick staring at them in the rearview mirror. "Didn't think she could."

"I knew it was coming," Rick commented lightly before clearing his throat. "Looks like she likes you a bit."

"Wha's that supposed to mean?" Daryl grumbled to hide the surprise he felt from that statement.

"Well she gets along with you better than anyone else we know."

"So?"

Kailey stirred a little in his arms. They were talking too loudly. Both of the men looked at her sympathetically. It would be better to let her rest and discuss whatever Daryl thought of Kailey later.


	6. Aurora aka Briar Rose aka

Hello, everyone! It's me, your friendly writer! (:

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has read, subscribed, favorited, reviewed or all of the above! **THANK** **YOU**!

So when I watched Sunday's episode of the Walking Dead not only was I amazed, horrorstruck, and full of shock but I also had an 'oh shit my story is done fucked up cause Sophia died' moment. And as a lazy writer I didn't want to write out eight chapters catching up with everyone including Carl being shot or Otis being munched to bits. So what happens when I get lazy? Kailey suffers a whack to the head and sleeps through most of season two. (

I'm also extremely concerned with the Carol and Daryl thing. The little piece of Kailey in me was like 'bitch, back the eff off!'

This chapter is leading up to a more important moment in the story. Let me know what we think!

Ps. I simply love the name I picked out for this chapter!

Lots of love! (:

-kimmy

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><p>Chapter Six: Aurora, aka Briar Rose, aka Sleeping Beauty<p>

_Kailey didn't remember the crash; she had been asleep when it happened. Daryl was half awake when his precious truck decided to somersault down a midsize slope like it wasn't a major deal. Rick remembered the whole thing. Who would have thought that with the extinction of mankind that deer were still a major problem for America's roads?_

_He thought he had enough space to swerve out of the way. He missed the deer but as the truck tumbled down a slope he wished he had just taken his chances with Bambi's mother. Daryl and Rick had remembered to wear their safety belts, Kailey was not so fortunate and with a sickening crack her head collided with the window of the car. For the rest of fall Daryl held onto her for all he was worth, frightened that she could be dead._

_For Daryl the aftermath was a blur. He had bumped his own noggin against the seat which resulted in a four day migraine and a bit of confusion. Rick had enough clarity to radio Shane for help but was a bit useless after that. Kailey was silent and still. Daryl in a panic shook her body franticly trying to wake her. Rick convinced him to relax and check her pulse. There was still a heartbeat._

_And Kailey Hall slept._

When she woke the first thing she saw were dead brown eyes. She wasn't sure what was worse; remembering Seth as he was dying or remembering him dead. He had been dead for months when they had found him and decomposing wasn't even close to the word that she needed to describe him. He looked like something you would find in your worst nightmare. He had limbs falling off for heaven's sake! What was left of his face was turning brown and blue and his jaw was dislocated.

But his eyes were still his… after months of being a corpse his eyes were still the eyes she loved the most.

She shifted uncomfortably in the bed that she was rested on.

Wait, a bed? The campsite didn't have a bed! Her eyes widened in surprise and she scrambled to stand. She found with a high amount of humiliation that she had been peeing in a bag. She yanked hard at the device that sat between her legs and tried to rise once again, where she noticed that she was wearing a grandma-ish nightgown. Her legs felt like jelly and she felt a sharp pain in the crook of her right arm. She looked over and found an IV bag resting on a nightstand, pumping some strange fluid into her body. She blanched; if there was one thing that frightened her more than the undead it would be a needle. Wait, nightstand? Bed? IV? Needle? House? Where was she? Why had she suddenly been thrown back in time to modern and relatively normal civilization?

How long had she been asleep for?

She heard the shuffling of feet walking past her closed door. Oh shit! With a light yelp she ripped the IV and it's tape off of her arm and dove under the bed like it would save her from any impending doom. Where the fuck was she? How did she get here? Where was Daryl or Rick? The last time she saw them was when…

She hitched a breath as she recalled the face of the dead. Oh how she wished it had been anyone but him that she had seen like that. Muffled voices were talking just past her door and it sounded like there was a pretty heated argument going on. It ended with a thump as someone was pushed aside and her door opened.

"What the…?" Lori's voice carried out into the hallway. Daryl could be heard struggling in earnest to get into the room. There were two pairs of shoes that Kailey didn't recognize standing beside Lori. She tried to curl up a little tighter under the bed.

"S'matter?" he demanded as he limped towards the room.

"She can't be far," an old voice reassured. "She wasn't conscious this morning. It's possible that she got spooked and wandered off."

"Wandered off?" Daryl hollered and she recognized his boots enter the room with a limp.

"Daryl," Lori warned, "get back to your tent and get some rest!"

"You people are stupid or summin." Without further ado he dropped to his knees and poked his head under the covers.

Kailey let out a tiny squeak and covered her face as if she were a child again. Daryl scowled at her but behind that scowl was a tremendous amount of relief. He had thought he lost her.

"Took ya long 'nuff," he mumbled crankily as he held his hand out to help her out from her bona fide hiding place. "Didja have a nice nap?"

"Nap?" she murmured.

Where the hell were they? As she began to feel safer with Daryl, she decided to take a better look at her surroundings. Yes, they were definitely in a house. The pair of shoes she didn't recognize belonged to an old man who was ushering her back down into bed. She clung to Daryl's hand and he followed her as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Well it is fortunate that you are awake," the man said as he pulled out a stethoscope and began to listen to her heart. "My name is Hershel. You were struck over the head and have been in a comma for the past two weeks."

"Two weeks?" she gasped, unsure if that was even possible. Daryl and Hershel swapped places and the man began to check her pulse.

Suddenly Rick burst in the doorway with Lori in tow. Behind them was a haggard looking blonde woman holding a black bag. Rick smiled at the girl hardly able to believe that he hadn't killed her. She smiled back, happy to find friendly faces. Hershel began to pull some items out of his bag and out of curiosity Kailey turned to watch.

She kind of wished she hadn't.

"Uh, you okay? Ya look like yah gonna hurl…" Daryl drawled as she began to turn a shade green.

Kailey noticed that a disturbingly large needle was being reattached to the IV that she had yanked out of her arm. Without even looking at her or making any motion to warn her of the torture they were about to inflict on her, the blonde reached over for her arm which she promptly pulled away. Before Daryl could even make the connection in his head, she darted off the bed and was clear across the room. The small crowd eyed her with confusion.

"Miss, I need you to sit back down. You are not well enough to be on your feet yet," Hershel requested. Nope, not gonna happen. Not no way, not no how. "Your body is poorly hydrated and you are in desperate need of your basic nutrients."

"Dehydrated?" she queried with a feeble giggle. "Nah, I feel fine. Oh, look! There's horses out there! I love horses! Let's go see!"

"Fuckin' horses, Kailey?" Daryl questioned with a good amount of confusion in his voice. Had that coma scrambled her circuits or something?

Rick and Lori shared a sly grin. Being parents, they recognized that deer in headlights look as the same one Carl once had when visiting the doctor. They chuckled lightly as Rick shut the door and Lori leaned against it. Kailey's eyes went wide as they trapped her in the small room.

"Miss, are you allergic to any medications?" Hershel asked, unaware of her attempts to hide from him. Daryl still sat on the bed trying to figure out why she wasn't sitting next to him.

"Yes," she squeaked, trying to find alternative means to escape her potential fate. The old man peered up at her.

"Which ones?"

"Um… which one do you have in your hand?"

If Daryl hadn't been shot in the head he would have face palmed. Lori and Rick laughed a little harder as they both wrapped a comforting arm around her, leading her back to bed. She hesitated a little but a coma apparently takes a good amount of strength from you. They deposited her next to the hunter who glared at her with a make-one-move-and-I'll-kill-you stare. It wasn't quite as effective as he wanted it to be though. She tried to scurry away again. He grabbed her by the shoulders and, without any tenderness or minding of the fact that she had just woken up from a two week long comma, pulled her backwards into him. She gasped and tried to discreetly nudge him away but he wasn't having it. He now had a pretty good grip on her arms.

Hershel sighed and unceremoniously prepared the IV. Having only dealt with animals, needle phobia was not something he commonly encountered. Kailey, however, had found a great deal of strength and was now trying to cover her arms with her hands all while giving Hershel her own version of a death glare.

"Will ya stop wrigglin'?" Daryl griped as he wrapped his hands around her tiny wrists. Her lack of compliance was literally painful because of the wound in his side. "Ya big baby!"

Lori and Rick had to hold back chokes of laughter. Who knew that Kailey could be so animated? Hershel shook his head and motioned for Daryl to keep her still. She yelped as the man got closer to her.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" She shut her eyes tight and scrunched her knees into her chest.

"He ain't even touched ya yet!" Daryl cried out in exasperation.

"Kailey, he is nowhere near you," Lori called out in laughter.

Daryl winced as his migraine from the gunshot wound pulsated in his head and the doc announced that he was going to reinsert the IV. Lori and Rick doubled over in giggles at the sight before them. Daryl had to wrap both arms around her; one to hold her wrist out and the other to wrap her into a comforting bear hug around her shoulders.

"Traitor," she snarled as she began to feel nauseous.

"Wuss," he grumbled back. "If ya'd hold still it wouldn' hurt so bad."

"You're gonna regret this! You had best let me go, now!"

"Or wha'?" Daryl dared.

"Or I'll – FUCK! OWWW!" Her idle threats were cut off by an angry howl of pain. "FUCK OFF, GRAMPS!"

"Kailey," Rick scolded while smiling, "mind your manners, he is only helping you."

"Coulda fooled me," she mumbled with an aggravated tone.

"It would be wise if you left this alone until I remove it myself. You need to try to eat some solid foods so I will send Maggie up with a plate," Hershel interrupted, completely ignoring her outburst. "In the meantime I would recommend that you get some rest."

"How long ya gonna keep me in here?" Daryl asked the man with a look that Kailey had never seen on his face. "I gotta go find Sophia."

"You should be fine to rest with your group. I wouldn't suggest pushing yourself," Hershel replied as he rose from his crouch by the bed and packed his things away.

Kailey shook her head in confusion. Find Sophia? That's Carol's kid. "Wait, what happened to Sophia? Where _are_ we?"

Rick sighed before kneeling in front of her. "Do you remember anything from that night?"

"I remember we killed Seth…" she admitted softly, "and I remember getting in the truck… I remember asking Daryl to sit with me but that's it."

"The truck crashed," Rick confessed. "Daryl and I were alright but you hit your head."

"And took a siesta, I get it! What happened to Sophia?" Lori took a deep breath and placed a hand on Kailey's shoulder as she helped her into bed.

"We were surrounded by walkers." Kailey blanched. "We all hid… You were in Shane's truck. We were trying to get to Fort Benning to find some help for you…"

"Sophia was almost bitten. I helped her get away but she must have gotten lost in the woods," Rick continued. "While we were searching for her Carl was shot."

"With a gun?" Kailey gasped. "Who did it?"

"Someone who used to live here." Kailey knew that 'used to live here' meant that this someone was already lunchmeat for a walker.

"Is Carl okay?" she murmured, concerned for the child. For the first time since she had woken up she got a good look at Daryl. He looked worse than she felt!

"Carl is fine," Lori reassured. "Hershel saved him."

"Holy shit, what happened to you Daryl?"

"'S fine," he grumbled as he limped away from her bedside. "I'm gonna go look around."

Kailey frowned. Why was he treating her so differently? Normally he would make a joke with her or try to make her smile. Where was the old Daryl? Rick sighed and pat her back as Lori, Hershel, the blonde and, to Kailey's disappointment, Daryl left the room.

"What's his problem?" she grumbled with a weird thickness in her throat. "Is it something I said?"

"Nah," Rick comforted with a smile. "He's just trying to find Sophia."

"Okay."

"He sat with you every day, you know." Rick wasn't looking at her but staring out the window. "After he searched he would come in this very room and sit beside you."

Kailey stared at the man, slightly confused. "Well I'd like to think that he's my friend… Isn't that what friends do?"

"I guess," Rick agreed quietly before standing up. "You get some rest, kiddo. It's good to have you back."

"Thanks, Rick," she whispered with a smile. "It's nice to be here."

When he left Kailey frowned. Daryl. Why was he on her mind so much? Why was the thought of him filling her up like this? She saw him and she wanted to try living again. But that was wrong! She had her chance at life and it was taken from her. She didn't deserve that right anymore. But she wanted it. It was selfish and cruel of her but she wanted to try to live again. She wanted to be herself and whole and find the light at the end of the tunnel.

Her room was on the first floor of the house. With a sigh of determination she pulled herself out of bed and found her backpacks which were near the closet. Grabbing the IV bag in her hand she climbed out of bed and went to her bag where she found a pair of jeans. She wriggled into them and slipped the nightgown off of her body and replaced it with a t-shirt. It was incredibly uncomfortable trying to change her top with a piece of steel shoved up her arm but she managed to wince through the discomfort. She went over to the window and opened it. All of a sudden she realized that she couldn't just walk around with an IV bag attached to her so for the second time that day she ripped the damn thing out. Fucking douche bags poking and prodding her for no goddamn reason!

She climbed out the window and leaned against the side of the house to catch her breath and find her feet. She had to talk to Daryl before he left to look. She had to. She owed him an explanation. He deserved to know the truth about what she thought of him.

She would be lying if she said she didn't feel something for Daryl. It may not be the same thing she felt for Seth but it was something and she never thought she would feel that again. Maybe he felt it too? Maybe there was still something good for her in this life and, by god, if there was a chance she wanted to take it. She raced towards the horse stable with a weak jog. She was suddenly glad to be awake and living.

She reached the stable and paused. Carol was in there with him? Odd, he never spent any time with Carol… what would she be doing talking to him?

"We can't lose you too," Carol insisted, tearfully. Kailey bit back a strange feeling rising in her chest.

Daryl stared at the woman with a stare that Kailey knew. He looked the same way when she had told him that she was going to find Seth. It was an odd combination of anger, admiration and eagerness to help. But why did he give a shit about Carol? And why was Carol looking at Daryl that way? She never paid him any mind before!

He got closer to Carol and Kailey was afraid to watch. He wouldn't do this to her, would he?

Or had she slept too long?


	7. Meeting Captian Hook

Hello, everyone! It's me, your friendly writer again with a quick update! (:

First of all, I am very proud of myself for two updates in the same day! This may be a small chapter but I'd like to think that this is a pretty interesting one. Inspiration whistled to me and I responded like it's bitch. So booya to me! :D

Last but not least I just want to thank everyone again for the loves and subscriptions and favorites and reviews and all that wonderful stuff! Ya'll have great taste if I do say so myself! (I'm a little biased though... :p)

Let me know what you think of this chapter! Reviews aren't a must for me but they are nice to get and I wouldn't say no to some constructive critisism if there is any!

Lots of love! (:

-kimmy

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><p>Chapter 7: Meeting Captain Hook<p>

_"We can't lose you too."_

Kailey didn't stay to find out what had happened exactly between Daryl and Carol in the stable. Whatever it was or wasn't or was going to be was something she wasn't exactly willing to find out. She managed to make her way discretely to the house and climb into the open window leading to her bed. She had a water bottle by her bed which must have belonged to Daryl at some point. She chugged it down and angrily threw the suddenly offensive bottle to the floor. That good for nothing hillbilly!

With fury unbeknownst to her she grabbed her cigarette backpack and pulled out two packs. There were woods nearby; maybe a peaceful walk would help her calm down and use her brain a little better. With cigarettes and her Zippo in tow she climbed out the window again. She took the long way to the forest so that she didn't pass where her group made camp. For some reason she found that she didn't want to deal with anyone. She wasn't exactly in the mood to play nice with others.

The forest was serene. The soft chime of birds lit the air and for the first time in a long time she felt like the world wasn't out to destroy her. The light filtered in through the trees and she lingered in the glow for a moment before she carried on. She went to light a cigarette when she spotted Shane and Dale in the distance having what looked like a fairly unfriendly conversation. It didn't have to be the end of the world for Kailey to figure out that any conversation involving a man at gun point was not a pleasant one. She leaned forward into a tree trying to stay undiscovered.

There was something different about Shane. Something in the way he held himself was off. She recognized that look as the one she wore when she remembered what she had done. But Shane wasn't as wicked as her; he could never do what she had done. Could he?

The conversation ended with Dale forking over a large black bag that held the groups gun supply. What the fuck was Dale thinking? Who would hide their biggest means of protection? The angry and stocky man began a hurried stride towards her. With a filthy look they locked eyes and he sneered. She never understood why Shane disliked her so much. Or maybe it wasn't her but everyone. Shane had never come across to her as a people person.

"When did you wake up?" he asked with a scowl.

"'Bout an hour ago." She paused. "What was all that about?"

"Nothin'. Shouldn't you be sleeping?" he tried to look concerned but she wasn't buying it.

She stared into his eyes and she just knew. That man that 'used to live here' wasn't living here because of Shane. She bit her lip before taking a bold step towards him.

"When Seth died I could have sworn I went nuts," she began slowly. "Did I ever tell you what happened?"

"Nope," Shane responded, looking real bored real fast.

"We had a guy in our group named Mark. Seth and I knew him long before the whole zombies killed the world thing went down. Right from the start he hated Seth, couldn't stand him… didn't think he was good enough for me, I guess…"

Shane looked down on her with an expressionless face. She sighed and continued her story. This was something that had been trying to work its way out of her for a while now. Why she was telling Shane she would never understand.

"After the world went to shit my friends had caught up with me and Mark had some hunting experience. He always took me hunting with him. I never shot anything but he had me there to hold the game and watch his back. One night, Seth told me he had enough of me hunting alone and wanted to go. I knew Mark hated him so I purposely asked a couple of other guys to go with them. They did and Seth always came back."

She lit a cigarette with a deeper frown than before.

"Then all of a sudden the day Mark and Seth go alone something happens. I'm not stupid. I know that Seth was in a tight spot and Mark looked the other way and let him get bit. It was in the way Mark looked at him with that smug face. He thought he could win me by killing my fiancée. Do you know what I did?"

Shane shook his head suddenly finding interest in his eyes. Kailey took a puff off of her cigarette.

"When we left our old camp after Seth died we found a new place to rest just north of here. When we got there I took Mark up on the offer to hunt… We were out there in the woods and I took my gun and I… I shot him… Didn't warn him or nothin', just… killed him."

"Look, I appreciate the story and all but this has nothing to do with me," Shane burst out, trying to mask the look in his eyes.

"Sure it does. This is the first time I've seen you since I've woken up and you have that same look that I had when I killed Mark…"

"That's a pretty strong accusation, missy," Shane growled.

"I'm not saying what you did was wrong. I'm sure you had your reasons," she answered haughtily. "I'm sure you had your reasons. All I'm saying is that you shouldn't let it get to your head. You aren't god, it's not up to you who stays and who goes."

He didn't have anything else to say to her. Just turned on his heel and walked away. Kailey let out heavy breath and took a long drag off her cigarette. She just couldn't win around here, could she?

She sat beneath that tree for what seemed like a small piece of forever. She tried to block the sight of Carol and Daryl standing that close to one another. She tried erasing that look on her face. Carol had no place looking at him like that. That look was hers. She leaned against the tree trunk and smoked countless cigarettes and thought countless things.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the sounds of heavy gun fire. Multiple weapons were shooting off at random. Kailey's stomach churned. No one would be firing like that for no reason. She leapt to her feet and raced towards the sound, which lead her back to the field. She watched as Rick fired the last weapon. With a pounding heart she recognized Sophia's silhouette fall to the ground. The members of her group were all standing with their guns out. Shane, Rick, Andrea, T-Dog and Glenn were all locked and loaded. Lori was holding Carl tightly in her arms while Dale watched on with pain in his eyes.

Carol was on the floor with Daryl's arms wrapped around her. This sight, combined with the horror of watching Rick shoot a member of their own group, filled Kailey's heart with dread. There was no mistaking the comfort level between the two of them. Carol felt for Daryl what Kailey felt as well. She wasn't angry, she wasn't sad but she wanted to get away from this sight. She wanted to get away from these people. They were getting too close. Once you got close you don't go back. She knew that.

Breaking into a sprint she raced back to the window and clambered inside. She reached the end table and knocked it over, breaking the lamp that rested beside it. It felt surprisingly good to break something. Hell, it felt fabulous! No one outside heard her as she struck a framed picture off of its perch on the dresser. Satisfied with her handiwork she grabbed her two backpacks and fled the scene.

She took one last look at Daryl and Carol locked together. She had stopped her desperate reach for her dead child and was now clinging to the hunter with all she had. The old Daryl wouldn't sit still for this. He wouldn't have bothered trying to comfort anyone. The Daryl that she liked would be standing with her right now making sure she wasn't hurt.

Without shame she stalked to the RV and snuck inside, furiously snatching food and water bottles as she went. Sitting on the bed was a small handgun with two boxes of ammo beside it. She took them; she was looking to get away not go off on a suicide mission. She left the RV with her looted items and headed for the trees.

The forest was just as sweet and peaceful as before but for some reason this didn't make Kailey feel any better, only filled her with more rage. She felt weak and exhausted but she didn't stop walking. She wanted to put as much distance between her and that wicked group of people as she could. All the while she hated herself for waiting so long to accept what she felt for Daryl. It was just her luck that when she wanted to find happiness again someone else shows up to snatch it from her.

She was in the forest for a long time before a walker noticed her. It was a boy this time. He was maybe fifteen or sixteen with a mop of curls and his stomach looked like it had blown up, his intestines curling down past his knees. His eyes were green. It was sad that despite how grotesque he was she still found time to notice his eyes. With a wet cry he raced towards her. She raised her weapon calmly. She was not in the mood to be eaten. No, she was too pissed off to deal with it right now. Suddenly a large figure burst from the trees behind her, racing towards the used-to-be boy. With a squelching sound the man in front of Kailey smashed it in the head.

"Hooo-weee! Another one down!" the man bellowed as he turned to give Kailey a once over. "Ya mind not pointing that thing at me, princess?"

He was an older guy with a baldish head and a scruffy beard growing on his face. He wore a biker vest that was covered in patches and pins. His voice was harsh and the first thing Kailey thought of was stranger danger. He had a machete in his left hand and as she continued to stare at him she grimaced.

His right hand was missing.


	8. People Are Strange When You're

(Creeps out from behind a corner.) Please, don't hurt me! I know I haven't updated in so long! I'm sorry!

This chapter is mostly a freakishly long filler chapter, I think. Inspiration struck me in a different direction than what I had originally planned so I had to kind of pull myself out of a hole... The next chapter is gonna be killer though so just you wait!

Thank you for reading! Reviews are always loved so if you have a moment please do! (:

Much love!

-kimmy

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><p>Chapter 8: People Are Strange When You're a Stranger<p>

She didn't lower her weapon; that would be the stupid thing to do. Instead she stood a little straighter and aimed it at the man's chest. It was nothing personal, just survival. He seemed to understand this and raised his left hand and right stump in assent. They both eyed the other for a moment, assessing any possible threats. Despite looking like a frequent visitor of the prison system, he seemed harmless enough. Kailey lowered her weapon and he threw her a half-assed grin. She didn't return the gesture as she slipped her pack off of her shoulders.

God Almighty, she needed a cigarette.

"Ya got any snacks in there, honeybuns?" the man asked casually, tucking his machete in his belt. "Ain't had nothin' to eat in a while now."

She glared at him over the degrading pet name but tossed him a granola bar over her shoulder. She wasn't about to let the man starve to death just because he was a pig.

"Thanks," he replied, catching the treat with his left hand. "What else ya got in that magic bag of yours?"

She threw a water bottle in his direction. "I want that back when you're done with it."

She fished her cigarettes out and counted what she had left for rations. She would want to make a run into town and stock up again. She hated going into town by herself; she had done it several times already. The one handed wonder was struggling with the water bottle and the snack wrapper. She sighed before snatching them from his hand and the crook of his arm. With a light scowl she opened the bottle and shoved it back into his open hand. She opened the granola bar and, when he had finished drinking, gave it to him. He smiled quite appreciatively.

"Thanks, suga'tits," he murmured as he devoured half of the bar in one bite.

"Could you not call me that?" she sniffed rather snobbishly. "I have a name you know."

He swallowed. "Ya never told me what it was."

"Well, what's yours?" she asked, offering him a smoke.

He grinned devilishly and accepted her gift. "I asked first."

"Kailey."

He pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit her cigarette for her. "Nice meetin' ya, Kay. Name's Merle."

She studied him for a second time. This Merle fellow must be one tough son of a bitch to have survived all of this with only one hand… Okay, he was pretty crass and smelled like a dirty bum but Kailey didn't exactly smell like roses either. Maybe hanging out with one person would be better than a whole group. She had done that with Charlie and she really enjoyed it. They both puffed on their cigarettes for a few moments in silence.

"Where ya headed?" Merle finally asked conversationally.

"Not really sure… just looking for some place that's safe. You?"

"Same."

"You're alone?" They didn't look at the other, just stared off into the trees and smoked.

"Been alone fer some time now," he replied coolly. "'ve been moochin' off of other folks shit fer months now."

"You've found others?" she questioned.

"Nah, not really. Just their shit. Know there's more though, all scattered an' such."

"Have you ever seen them?"

"Nope."

She eyed him dubiously. "Then how do you know?"

"Fresh tracks, killed walkers, leftover food and tents. There's more of us."

"Why haven't you tried to find them? Don't you think it would be easier for you to get around if you were with a group?"

Merle chuckled darkly as he squashed his smoke under his boot. "I don' really play well with others, cutie pie. 'Sides, I don' see you totin' the bandwagon behind ya."

She shrugged her shoulders moodily. "Guess I'm not one to talk then."

"That stupid fuckin' bitch!" Daryl snarled as he began an angry pace around the room Kailey was last seen in.

First he had Carol to deal with and now Kailey decided to play stupid and vanish again. She had obviously knocked things over during her departure. What wasn't certain was whether or not she had intentionally destroyed the room or if she was just clumsy.

"Daryl, relax," Rick insisted, pressing his palms against his face and rubbing his eyes. This week had certainly put him through the ringer and the scene by the barn hadn't helped in the least. Now he had to deal with burying the loved and burning the dead as well.

"Fuck off, I'm gonna go find 'er," the hunter snarled and tried to shove him aside. Rick returned the favor and had to duck away from Daryl's fist.

"Daryl, stop!" Lori shouted, throwing her hands on her hips and closing her eyes. "Give her a little space please! She was probably frightened when she heard the guns going off. I bet she's somewhere in the house."

When she opened them again Daryl was squatting outside of the window. The couple peered at him dubiously.

"No she ain't," Daryl grumbled as he studied the ground.

Suddenly he stood up and started walking as if he were tracking their next meal. Lori and Rick followed him cautiously, afraid that he would start throwing punches if he noticed them. He followed the invisible path to horse stable and frowned as he stood in front of it for a moment.

His mind replayed the scene between him and Carol. Kailey knew better than to be jealous, right?

The hunter suddenly turned on his heel to follow Kailey's footsteps. From the stable she went into the woods. The Sherriff and his wife followed Daryl the whole time in silence. From the ground Daryl learned quite a bit about the crew he was with. Dale and Shane were in the woods at some point today, he could see their tracks. Kailey must have had a conversation with Shane because by the base of a tree were both sets of prints. Shane had walked past Kailey, leaving her in the woods alone.

Daryl scowled. "Shane was here with 'er at one point."

"What do you mean?" Lori asked softly, afraid to set him off.

"Their tracks are right 'ere," he said as he pointed at the ground. "He walked past her. Must've been before the shooting…"

They continued their trek through the woods. Rick was beginning to feel an ounce of fear. Kailey was an adult, she knew better than to go off into the woods on her own. This was how people got lost and ultimately killed. They stopped briefly by the base of the tree and you didn't have to be a master tracker to know Kailey had stopped there. The ground was littered with cigarette butts.

"Like a fuckin' chimney," Daryl huffed as he knelt beside the mess. His eyes never left the ground as he suddenly rose and began a half jog through the rest of the forest.

"Slow down," Lori hissed angrily, trying to keep up.

The hunter stopped and stared at her. "She ran back… I think she must've heard the guns goin' off. Might've worried her."

They ran through the forest and paused for a moment at the barn. Glenn and T-Dog were working on the cleanup. Andrea and Dale were sitting with Carl, Hershel and his children, trying their best to comfort them. Shane stood by idly watching Carol who was nowhere to be found.

There was a blanket covering Sophia.

They all exchanged a mournful glance as Daryl left the scene and made his way back to the house. He stopped for a moment. There was another set of tracks leading to the RV. Maybe she was hiding in there this whole time?

He burst into the trailer, calling out her name a little harsher than he planned on. It didn't matter, she was gone and the place was trashed. He frowned again and rubbed the back of his head, trying to think of alternative actions to deal with the fury that was building up slowly but surely. When he couldn't find any, he punched the wall of the RV.

"We'll find her, Daryl," Rick promised emptily but Daryl shook his head.

"Nah, leave 'er. If she wants tah be off on 'er own let 'er."

Kailey wasn't laughing, she was snorting. She was sitting in a cube truck with a dirty biker man and she was laughing so hard that it was making her snort. God, this guy was really freaking funny! She loved it! He roared with great humor as she snorted again.

"Choo makin' weird sounds, Kay!" He might be high but at least he was having fun.

"Oh my God, Merle, you're so fucking high!" she spat out through chuckles, leaning against the seat. "Where are we going?"

"There's a farm a little ways away. There's one back the other way but this'uns okay."

She frowned. There were more farms? Where was she, the home of the jolly Green Giant?

"I dunno if we should go there, Merle…" she said haughtily.

"Yeh dun haff ta," he replied. "I'm goin' though."

She stared at him and couldn't help but smile. Maybe having an easy going, tell it like it is, drug addict around was just what she needed. He didn't look like the type to judge her for what she had done. She let out a weird sniffle before agreeing with him.

"Fine, I'll go with you… but what makes you think this place is empty?"

"It ain't no more. A group of guys settled there las' week. It's jus' outside of town."

"I thought you didn't mix well?" Kailey asked, the idea of more people making her very wary.

"Can't avoid it sometimes."

He started the truck and they were off.

Merle and his truck were greeted by a small posse of men. Kailey grimaced. Weren't there any girls in this place? She froze in her seat nervously, preferring the quiet of the car over the din of testosterone in front of her. All of them turned to stare at her or, more precisely, her tits. Great, horny men who all smelled and hadn't seen a girl since the dawn of the apocalypse. Brilliant plan, Merle! She watched uncomfortably as he got out and approached his group.

"Who's da chick?" a round fellow who reminded Kailey a little of the Pillsbury doughboy asked, jerking his thumb in her direction.

She scowled and crossed her arms. Another man, a rather handsome one to boot, took notice of this and narrowed his eyes at Mr. Stay Puft before slapping the back of his head. "Some respect, Little Tony, we have a lady in our midst!"

The good looking guy approached her side of the vehicle and opened the door, holding his hand out to help her down. "Enchante, Madamoiselle."

She narrowed her eyes at him; he seemed to take note of her unease and offered her an award winning smile. "The name's Dave."

She frowned. This Dave guy had a weird accent, one that she couldn't quite put her finger on. He wasn't a local. She frowned some more but this time in deep thought. If these guys weren't from around here there was no telling what they knew. Maybe they knew a way out of this mess? After a moments deliberation she accepted his help and hopped out of the van.

"Can't she talk? Merle, I think you found a broken one," Fatso jibed, nudging Kailey's rescuer in the side. Merle didn't like that one bit.

"Shove it, Tubo," the man snarled, shoving the obtuse guy out of his way to walk closer to Kailey. "She wus talkin' fine with me. C'mon, Kay, say hello to the guys."

She gulped. In order to believe that she hadn't just made the worst mistake of her life she had to trust Merle. "Hey guys?"

"It speaks!" Dave cried out playfully. "Your name is Kay? That short for something?"

She took in a breath. _Just trust Merle_. "Yeah, it's short for Kailey."

"Well it's nice to meet you, Kailey," Dave noted, placing a hand over his chest and wrapping his free arm over her shoulders to turn her towards the small crowd. "I'm David. You already know Merle." He pointed to Flubber. "That's Little Tony. The younger kid there is Randy. Shawn. Josh. Travis. There's more of us but they aren't here to say hi."

She felt the guys arm around her and her stomach curled. He obviously meant nothing by it but it felt wrong. Men weren't supposed to touch her. She was damaged goods. Men don't touch damaged goods…

The younger guy, Randy, waved his hand at her. "'Sup?"

Kailey raised an eyebrow. In such trying times it seemed strange that he could use such a common phrase. She nodded her head in his direction but didn't say anything. Instead she pulled away from Dave's side and turned to face him.

"You don't sound like you're from here."

He chuckled. "I'm not. Me and Little Tone are from Philly."

She cast Merle a glance out of the corner of her eye. "Look, I was under the impression that Merle worked alone. So, no offense, I'm just gonna head my own way."

"By yourself?" Dave asked, eyebrows raised and a cocky grin on his face. "No offense, doll, but I don't think a pretty lady such as yourself should be going it alone."

_Pretty? I'm still pretty?_ It had been such a long time since she had thought something so ludicrous. She certainly didn't feel pretty.

"I'll be fine," she grumbled. "I can handle myself just fine."

Merle let out a huff as he leaned against the truck. "I think ya'd be better off with us. Dave, don't you guys have work to do?"

Dave nodded. "Yeah, looks like we had better get going. C'mon, gents. Kailey," he turned to face her, "I'll be seeing you later."

With a final wink and a pat on Merle's shoulder he hopped into a van and his caravan took off. Kailey eyed Merle with a bit of disdain. "You lied to me."

"Nah," he argued, unloading the contents of the cube truck. "I jus' didn't tell ya I had a few friends, is all."

"That's lying."

Merle let out a laugh. "No, it's not. C'mon, there's an extra room in the house up 'ere. Ya look like ya need a nap."

Kailey woke to the sound of thundering footsteps echoing throughout the house. At first she was startled, forgetting how she found the comforts of a bed to sleep in. Then it all came back to her; Carol and Daryl, Merle, Dave, Little Tony, Randy. She timidly rose from the creaky mattress to investigate the commotion.

"They killed them! Those bastards killed Tony and Dave!"

She stopped at her door. Maybe leaving the room wouldn't be such a smart idea?

"What happened to Randall?" Merle asked coolly. Kailey began to feel really bad for making fun of Tony seeing how he was dead now.

"We had to leave him… Walkers everywhere… We opened fire on the guys that shot Dave…"

_Shot?_ Why would someone shoot them? Sure Tony was just plain old gross but there was no need to shoot the poor guy. More importantly, _who_ had shot at them? There couldn't be that many people in such a small area. There simply couldn't be.

"Who did this?" Merle asked, just as calm and lethargic as before.

"Fucked if I know… three guys… An old guy and an Asian… I'm willing to bet they are gone by now…"

Kailey gasped. _Glenn?_ What were they doing in town? Suddenly her heart wanted to stop. What if Daryl had been with them? With speed unbeknownst to her, she checked her provisions and grabbed her bags. She had to make sure he was alright. She had to see with her own eyes that her people were okay. Then she could come back here and forget until she died of hunger or became something's meal.

She tore through the hallway like she was on jetpack-fueled roller skates; her feet hardly touching the ground as she fled the safe confines of her hallway. Suddenly, she slowed down. For some odd reason she felt unsafe, like Merle wasn't about to give up the first sign of tail he had seen in God only knows how long. Now she began to shake. There was a door at the end of the stairway. She just had to creep down the rickety steps, slip through the screeching door and then tear through the night… That can't be too hard, right? She chose her moment patiently; once the discussion in the main room had elevated to a point that it could mask her escape, she darted. No one seemed to notice as she sped away from the farm and its occupants like a cheetah on crack.

She reached the woods with record timing. She could hear Merle calling out for her now, begging for his piece of ass to return unscathed. Her feet were steady as she traced the drive of the land through the outskirts of the trees. She had made sure to pay attention to the route Merle had taken to get here, just in case she had needed to get back.

She didn't care how she did it; Kailey was going to find her way back.


	9. Breathless and Blushing

Hello again! (:

So I was originally planning on putting this chapter up next week, but to my surprise I came home from work to find my e-mail assaulted with reviews and favorites and subscriptions! It was, I must say, the greatest attack I have ever encountered! So thank you to everyone who has loved and given me feedback on this story! I really do appreciate it! :D

So here is the next installment on Kailey's adventures! It's a little shorter than I had planned but I hope you all love it as much as I do! My only major concern is that I haven't quite captured Daryl's character like I should...

Leave some feedback if you feel so inclined! And thank you again for your support of my whimsical fantasy! (o:

-kimmy

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><p>Chapter 9: Breathless and Blushing<p>

Daryl was once again in a foul mood. He hadn't left his newfound campsite in a week; he was hungry, cranky, and flat out bored. Half of him wanted to try to find Kailey but another part of him, the part that wasn't interested in becoming invested with these people, told him to leave her be. He took the less interested side and stayed put. It seemed that the incident with the barn had taken all the happy out of him. He hardly paid attention to the crew at this point. All he knew was that they had some guy with a busted leg in the house and that Kailey had been gone for about three or four days. Aside from these thoughts, he was in survival mode.

Unfortunately for him, there seemed to be some sort of commotion going on elsewhere. With a scowl he left the comfort of his camp. It was probably just a stupid walker; no need for everyone to get all worked up over it. Looking up, he spotted Rick, Carl, Dale, and Glenn all jogging towards a figure that was moving as fast as its legs could. His eyes widened. It was a girl.

It couldn't be her.

Kailey could feel each breath burning in her chest. She had found the barn at last! Despite the fire in her lungs and the smolder of her muscles she continued to race for safety. The front door burst open and Rick raced out with Carl in tow. Dale was half jogging, half walking from the RV towards her with, bless him, a bottle of water in his hand. She watched the door open one more time and she almost fell over with relief. _Glenn!_

The stretch of dirt road felt like it would never end! As she ran she could hardly keep the tears of relief from stinging her eyes. Glenn, unsurprisingly reached her first and she gracelessly flung her arms around his neck! He was alive! Oh thank God!

"Kailey?" he breathed, surprised that she was, quite literally, all over him. He nervously wondered if Daryl was around to see this and destroy him.

"You're okay! I just kept thinking that you were…" she faltered, burying her face into his neck. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Rick and Carl joined the fray now. She looked up and threw her arms around Rick's waist, the way a frightened child hugs a parent. "Oh my God! Rick! You're all okay?"

"Uh, yeah, we are," Rick stammered, surprised to see such a reaction from Kailey. The girl who hardly spoke two words was now speaking with no hopes of being quieted. "Why would you think otherwise?"

She stiffened suddenly. She hadn't meant to tell them that. She didn't want them to know about the other group, especially if they were the ones that killed Dave. It would make her look bad if Rick knew she had been gallivanting about with others. She loosened her grip on the Sheriff and smiled widely. Better to avoid the question.

"I was just so worried… These times are so uncertain and I just thought…"

Rick pat her shoulder, comfortingly. "Well stop worrying. Everything here is fine… How about yourself? Where were you?"

Then a new thought struck her. "Oh God, Daryl!" she gasped. "Is he…?"

"He's fine!" Dale confirmed, wondering what the hell had gotten into the girl.

_Then why isn't he here? Doesn't he want to see me?_ She frowned a little but continued to scan the area for him. When she spotted him he seemed to scowl before he turned his back to her. The action stung her more than any words could. She eyed Carol suspiciously as the widower hung some clothes to dry. Had that battered woman already won? Maybe Daryl didn't care about her? Suddenly, Kailey didn't want to be back again. Maybe she should have taken her chances with Merle and the horndog gang?

She hung her head a little and pulled her packs off of her shoulders. Everyone but Rick passed confused glances towards each other. The Sheriff simply took her bags and handed them to Dale, who promptly began to bring them to the RV. With a confused look, Glenn and Carl left the scene with Rick's silent cue. Kailey let out a little smile for good measure.

"I'm glad you guys are alright… It's pretty hot out…"

"Yeah, it is," Rick agreed. "How about you go freshen up by the creek? I'm sure everyone will be happy to see you without a layer of dirt on your face."

"M'kay," she mumbled, slightly worried. To reach the stream she had to pass by _his_ tent.

Rick smirked as he thought about his genius plan; that should get the ball rolling. He walked towards the house and had to hold back a smile as Kailey began moving at snail pace towards the edge of the forest. He was confident that she wouldn't try to leave now that she had no supplies. Besides, Daryl wouldn't let her get too far, he thought.

Kailey stalked past his tent with a bit of an attitude in her step. She was glad she could at least hide her disappointment long enough to try to make him feel like an ass. Deep down, she was still a petulant child and for the moment she appreciated her sass. Unfortunately, she felt it all melt away once his tent was behind her. So much for petty and juvenile…

She spotted the stream easily and hunkered down beside it. No wonder Daryl had made his camp here, there was fresh water and lots of trees to hunt squirrel in. She let out a quiet sigh as she began to wipe her face clean. She supposed that in the end she shouldn't care about what Daryl thought of her. It's not like she was actually _looking_ for anything like that. Maybe she should be happy for the two of them? It's not like Daryl really ever cared about her to begin with…

The crunch of leaves behind her pulled her from her silent lament. She turned but saw nothing. _Must've been an animal._ She went back to rinsing her body in the chilly water beside her. How could he have been so mean to her? She had run all the way back to this farm to make sure he was alright and he didn't even have the courtesy to poke his head out of his ass to even say hi? She scowled before running her hands over her face one more time. With that she let out a sigh of resignation. There were plenty of fish in the sea! She didn't need that nasty redneck! Filled with resolve she stood from the water and turned on her heels to head back.

Daryl chose this moment to appear from his hiding spot. Kailey gasped in surprise and almost cried walker before she fell backwards into the water. Daryl didn't move to help her up; he didn't have a cocky grin on his face. He just stood there with no expression whatsoever. Kailey scowled furiously at him. What a dick!

"It's fine, I've got it!" she huffed angrily, pulling herself out of the water. She felt angry tears sting her eyes. Why was he insisting on torturing her now? Hadn't her feelings been hurt enough by that idiot?

She brushed her hair from her eyes and began her enraged march back to camp. She would not be humiliated like this! She would go back to camp and do laundry and clean like the other girls. She would no longer hide in anyone's shadow! No, Kailey Hall was a free and independent woman who would not rely on a man for survival!

Daryl blocked her path. She tightened her fists and made to sidestep him but he mirrored her movements. He had his arms crossed and his eyes were seething with unfamiliar passion. Kailey frowned, what had gotten into this guy?

"Um, excuse me," she snapped rudely.

He finally looked at her.

_Oh shit._

"Where were ya?" he finally demanded.

Kailey gulped. Okay, so he hadn't been ignoring her after all. He had been waiting to kill her. Her words failed her. He was really mad at her and it showed. She regained her composure, puffed out her chest and held her head high.

"Around," she replied haughtily. That's all he had to know. "Nice to see you too."

His flashed a brighter blue and he narrowed them.

"What? It's none of your business, Dixon," she hissed. "Why don't you go buzz around your girlfriend and leave me alone?"

His eyes were still narrowed but a small smirk lit his face. Kailey tried to ignore how much that stung. So he wasn't denying that there was something there… Okay. She hung her head and shoved past him. Screw him and his little fling. Sure she had decided not to care but that didn't mean he had to throw it in her face like this! He stopped her. Before Kailey could even blink, Daryl had her pushed up against a tree. He stared into her eyes intensely; the smirk still on his face but the anger still in his eyes.

"Is that what ya think, girly?" he breathed with resentment practically dripping from every word.

Kailey gulped and Daryl loosened his grip slightly.

"Where did ya go?" he repeated.

She shrugged as best as she could, what with being pinned to a tree and all. "I was in the woods this whole time… I just… needed some time to think."

"Abou'?"

"None of your business!" she snapped, forgetting who was in charge of the situation. "Like I said, bugger off and take your anger issues out on your little girlfriend!"

He let out a low growl and pressed her harder into the tree. He didn't speak, only stared at her. Kailey squirmed uncomfortably. Why was he torturing her like this? Then without warning he let her go and crossed his arms with a huff.

"Yer real stupid, Kailey."

"Excuse me?" she snarled, rubbing her shoulder where he had held it to the tree.

"I called ya stupid," he insisted.

"Yeah, I get that," she grumbled and began to walk back towards camp. She really hoped he had said all that he had to say so that she could go hide in the RV.

"Quit walkin' away from me!" he snapped, standing in her way again. Kailey tried not to cry. Why was he in her face like this? Why wouldn't he just leave her alone?

Without warning, his hands came up and cupped her face. They were pulling her closer to him. She cast a fleeting glance into his eyes, which were lit now with a different fuel than before. Kailey was suddenly aware of her heartbeat. It began thumping like a trapped rabbit in her ribcage. If it beat any harder it would explode, she was certain of that.

His lips brushed hers hesitantly. Her lips parted, trying to release some of the energy her heart was creating in her chest. Just when she thought that she had had enough, Daryl attacked again. This time his lips were firmer, more purposeful. His arms were no longer restraining her, now adopting the new task of holding her upright. The kiss was warm and strong and safe. It was everything and nothing at the same time. After a moment it was over, but it left Kailey speechless.

Daryl pulled away from her and his brow furrowed. "I ain't got a girlfriend and if ya run off like that again ya best pray I don' find ya 'cause if I do ya ain't gonna like it."

With those words said, he turned and stalked off to his respective hiding place leaving Kailey breathless and blushing on the forest floor.


	10. There's a Sadness in You, Me, and Us Two

Chapter 10: There's a Sadness in You, Me and Us Two

It had been three days since she had returned. It had been three days since Daryl had kissed her.

The sudden realization brought another wave of pink to her cheeks. Instantly she had forgotten the gravity of her situation; the world was not in the midst of an apocalyptic disease, she was back in college blushing on the basketball court. She was blushing because she had dared Seth Barnes to kiss her at their next dodgeball game and not only had he done just that but he had done it in front of all of his friends. That's exactly what this felt like. It was the pink giddy feeling of a first kiss.

Her good humor was very short lived, however. No, she was not on a basketball court; she was trying to sneak into a horse stable to get some peace and quiet! More importantly, she was not kissing Seth for the first time. She was kissed by Daryl Dixon. She felt guilty for a few moments, allowing herself to wallow in a new wave of loss. To start over she had to change all of her 'lasts' with 'firsts'. Prior to this, her last kiss had been Seth. To have her first kiss with Daryl she had to let go of her last.

She let out an uncomfortable snort as she wriggled her way into one of the unoccupied stalls. Maybe she would be better off being celibate… isn't that what most women did when their loved ones passed? Maybe, somewhere on this godforsaken earth there was still a running convent with nuns and monks who had 'prayed the zombie away'. Perhaps she would be better suited to live there. Hopefully she would find a handsome and charming monk there and convince him to…

Okay, celibacy was clearly not an option for her.

She had spent the first day in a haze where she did nothing but hang out with Dale and drink water in the RV. She was begrudged to admit that she enjoyed the old man's company. He kind of reminded her of what her grandfather would have been like. She never really knew her 'Papa'; he had died when she was about seven or eight. Either way, Dale reminded her of that little inexperienced memory. He knew what had happened between her and the redneck. He never let on that he knew but she could tell by the odd smile that he was sharing with her that he was more than aware of what had transpired. She made a mental note to ask him how he had figured it out.

She let out a quiet huff as she pulled out her pack of cigarettes. Smoking in a wooden stable full of hay really didn't seem like the smartest idea she had ever had but it certainly wasn't her worst. She was about to light up when she heard the racket of all rackets in the stall beside her.

"P-please! Don't hurt me!" a voice pleaded from somewhere out of sight.

She hit the decks as quietly as she could, pressing her face against the wall where her eye could peer through the cracks. She spotted Daryl. What the frig was he doing in the stable? Her one peeping eye shifted to another figure. It was another male… He was younger… Dark hair…

She barely stifled a gasp. She knew that face! She knew his name!

He had been with Merle's group…

She sat crouched in horror as Daryl kicked Randall in the face. What was wrong with him? Why was he hurting that guy? She took a frightened step back, unable to process what had become of the man who had turned her into a blissful child for the past couple of days. She couldn't just leave the stable, Daryl would know she had been there! He would be royally pissed if he knew that she had been present to witness this obvious case of bullying. No, she had better sit through it and pray that she wouldn't have to report a murder to Rick. With nothing but a pounding heart and a prayer she covered her ears and waited for someone else's torture to end.

o-o

She ran a finger over the scar on her left shoulder cautiously, as if touching it would reopen the wound and change her fate. She almost wished it would. Maybe, only if she could change destiny, she wouldn't be so burdened with secrets; perhaps she wouldn't feel so different.

"Are you alright?"

Kailey jumped in surprise before she realized she was safe in the RV with none other than Dale. When it was over and Daryl had left poor Randy bleeding and petrified on the floor, Kailey fled. In retrospect, she should probably have run for the hills but this place seemed safest. She let out a halfhearted smile to ease the old man's worries, trying to cover her past as discreetly as possible.

"Are you hurt? What is that?"

"'M fine…" she warned.

He gave her a disbelieving look but didn't press the argument any further.

She looked at him with nothing short of appreciation before rising, wiping her eyes as she stood. "Thanks, Dale…"

He offered her a kind smile before picking up his book and making a face. "I hate this damn thing… Only read it about a thousand times…"

Suddenly, she was struck with the idea of the millennia.

o-o

"Glenn, I promise I won't be gone long!" she pleaded, actually folding her hands together as if in prayer. "Just kind of, you know, distract him for me long enough to do what I have to do!"

"No," Glenn repeated for the third time.

Kailey pouted. Glenn had been so different lately and not in a good way. It was starting to infuriate her beyond all belief. She narrowed her eyes and scowled as she crossed her arms over her chest. He passed her an annoyed glance before shaking his head one last time and turning away from her. She adjusted her backpack on her shoulders.

"Look, are you gonna make a cigarette run for me then?" she huffed, stomping her foot in a manner that no woman with her IQ level should. "Don't think so!"

Glenn's face turned towards her with a scowl. "I'm kind of missing the Kailey that couldn't talk right about now."

"Fuck off, walker bait," she hissed before twisting on her heels and walking off, casually throwing the Asian the finger as she went. "Pretend this conversation never happened. I've got shit to do!"

o-o

Within a matter of hours, Kailey had hit the jackpot. She had found this hick town's equivalent of the Home Depot and grabbed gear for the whole group, large and small! For herself, she had found a most amazing assortment of knives and one badass machete that made her want to squeal. She had found a small collection of firearms and a huge cache of ammo that shouldn't have surprised her considering how tightly the place had been locked up. Fortunately, Kailey knew her way around a lock. This is not what she had originally been searching for but she knew that it would definitely earn her brownie points with at least Shane or Andrea. She had also picked up several unopened boxes of granola and protein bars.

With lighter feet than she thought she had, she lugged three impressively stuffed duffle bags to the small car she had found on her walk into town. It was a gorgeous little Ford Focus complete with a gas tank that was practically full, keys in the ignition and, the most exciting part for the wayward explorer, an iPod charger. A wide grin spread across her face as she spotted her iPod, plugged in and waiting for her return to the steering wheel. Oh how she had missed music!

Smiling she tucked her new toy, the machete to be precise, into its holder that was now attached to her belt. This son of a bitch was really gonna come in handy for her. No more defenseless little smarty pants Kailey! She was gonna take this nasty apocalypse head on! She was going to clobber every single walker's ass on the planet. But in order to do that she needed two more things: cigarettes, and a hell of a lot of booze.

Her third mission would be books. To be honest, books really weren't going to be difficult to find. All she would need to do was get into any common home or retail location and grab what she could without being eaten alive doing it. Breaking and entering would be easy; she just had to hope that the mister and missus were out for lunch. Her face turned suddenly grim as she realized that her joke was a little uncalled for.

She snuck past a rouge walker as it hobbled its way down the street. To the bar!

She snuck in through the back door. There floor was littered broken glass and bullet casings. Shit was fucking everywhere! What the hell had gone down here? She hid a gasp and a terrified heartbeat as she heard an odd shuffling sound in the room before her. Oh frig…

There was a wet, indiscernible noise that sounded like wet socks being squished in a sneaker. No, it sounded like… Aw, hell, she couldn't find the words to describe it. Taking a deep breath, she gripped the handle of her new machete and held it like a baseball bat.

Monsters.

That's what she had called them before the rest of the human population began to call them Walkers. She called them for what they were; nasty, vile, treacherous monsters. These were the things that made her hide under her covers as a child, what made her terrified to sleep at night. Anything that could keep you from sleep was nothing short of a monster.

She gripped her machete like it was a baseball bat and rounded the corner; praying that her softball instincts would kick in any moment. She froze however as the putrid figures in front of her rose hastily from the ground.

Dave.

Tony.

She could see stains on their clothes from the bullet wounds that had supposedly taken their lives. If they had died from a round to the chest how were they coming after her now? Why weren't they at peace? They shouldn't be moving!

Kailey ran out of the bar and into the car before the bodies from Philly could get within arm's length of her. She knew that she should have hacked their brains out but she didn't. Logic said that she should clean up the mess that Dave and Tony had become but she didn't have it in her. More importantly, there shouldn't be a mess to begin with. Those two were supposed to have been shot. This obviously meant that it had been the bullet wounds that had killed them.

So why the fuck did they turn?

o-o

She pulled up the dirt driveway and raced to Dale's camper, knowing that it was the only place he could be. She was alarmed to find it was empty. Where on earth could he be? Who else could she confide in about Tony and Dave's fate? She frowned and stepped outside the Winnebago. She decided that it would be best to wait for him to come to her than her searching for him in the dark of the night. No matter how safe the farm promised to be, the dark still made her nervous. She pulled her pack of cigarettes out from her pocket and pulled one out, pausing to light it.

Then she heard the shouts for help.

Dropping everything in her wake she raced towards the cries, unsheathing her weapon as she went. She prayed to get there in time. Please, just get there in time. The run felt so short but by the time she arrived the damage was already done.

Dale lay on the ground gasping like a fish out of water. In sheer horror she stared at his stomach which had been torn open, revealing his insides and oozing blood and stomach contents. He looked terrified as he watched her through his wild eyes. There was a crowd forming now around him but he kept his eyes on Kailey and opened and closed his mouth over and over. The occasional moan would escape his lips, rendering Kailey helpless to say or do anything.

Andrea's cries infiltrated her ears. "He's suffering! Somebody do something!"

Petrified eyes were boring into her skull.

Daryl knelt down beside him.

Kailey shut her eyes tightly.

"I'm sorry, brother."

With a crack it was over.

Now what could she do? She stood there, absorbing Dale's face with a bullet hole through it. There was more than just guts pooling around him now, brain matter was splattered everywhere. The sight made her want to be sick but what good would that do? It would only add to the gore surrounded the entire group. She lifted her gaze, trying to find something, anything, else to look at. Then she saw it.

The walker.

He was hideous in every way imaginable even as he lay still in final slumber. Swallowing back the bile in her throat she walked around the group of mourners and approached the body. Someone else had killed it before she could. Before she could even think about what she was about to do, she raised her machete high over her head.

With an enraged scream she swung low, spraying her body with the warm and decayed fluids and organs that had liquefied and melted together. She was supposed to have gotten Dale new books today. With a ragged moan she bashed at the walkers face; nearly slicing it off. He killed Dale. If this didn't avenge his death she couldn't imagine what would. She held the bloody machete again, unable to resist the urge to violate the mutilated mass of flesh that lay at her feet. Her clothes were soaked in its infected blood but it didn't matter to her. She hated every last one of them. She would destroy every walker she could just like she did this one.

"Put it down, Kailey," a voice called out.

She shook her head and continued to hack away that the monster at her feet. No, she would not stop until she had minced this demon into nothing. Suddenly two arms crept up from behind her and wrenched her precious knife from her grasp, covering her mouth to muffle her shrieks. Daryl held her close to his chest.

"C'mon, ya need to get outta here," he soothed. "Let's get ya cleaned up."

As he passed by Dale's body she dared one final peek. His eyes were still wide open and staring right at her.

In that moment she knew that there really was not a damn thing she, or anyone else for that matter, could do and she crumpled under the weight of that.

* * *

><p>Sorry guys! I had a serious case of writers block! Not to mention I started a new and better job where I can actually afford to you know, live. Which I feel is kind of important...<p>

BUT THAT IS NO EXCUSE!

I watched the black and white premiere of the pilot episode and it sparked something in me. I pushed through the block, as awkwardly written as it was, I have finally finished this god forsaken chapter that I have been avoiding for months!

And can I just say... WHY DALE?

Last but not least, I have approximately thirty-seven and two thirds of an idea for this story so there is a really good chance that I am going to take this story away from the show and post a little more often. But I will explain all of that later!

Thank you for being patient and loving this story! I honestly do appreciate it! (:

Let me know if this chapter was worth the wait! :D

-kimmy


	11. It's Time to Begin, Isn't It?

Hey guys! I have finally wrapped up the first half of the book! I can assure that once Season 3 starts I will be pumping out stories like no tomorrow!

Let me know what you think of my ideas so far!

Thanks for reading!

-kimmy (:

* * *

><p>Chapter 11: It's Time to Begin, Isn't It?<p>

"Hey, I know you…"

Kailey stared at the boy in front of her. She called him a boy because Randall was hardly old enough to be called a man. She nodded her head slowly as she crouched in front of him. He was maybe a year or two younger than herself, the weight of that instantly brought out her maternal instinct. He did not deserve to be tied up; no, he should be cared for and loved. Someone should be here to talk to him…

"Aren't you that Kailey girl? The one Merle brought back with him?"

She nodded her head slowly, reaching her left hand out to gently touch his wounds. The cuts and bruises had finally begun to heal but he was dehydrated and hungry. She would have to bring him food and water after the days rations were handed out. This poor, poor boy…

"Still not much for talking, are ya?"

She shook her head as she scooted a little closer to him, now leaning against the wall beside him. They said nothing, just sat and stared at the wall in front of them. The silence was thin for they really had nothing to say to the other. Finally she knew what she had come to do.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

He stared at her in awe. "What for? You didn't do nothin' to me…"

She let out a sigh. "I know I didn't… I'm just…I'm sorry this happened to you. You being chained up like this… It's not fair."

"Don't suppose you could get me out've here, could ya?"

She let out a low chuckle. "Doubtful… but I'll see what I can do."

"Kailey?"

She practically jumped out of her bones. In the light of the sun, Daryl was no more than a silhouette in the now open doorway. She didn't have to see his face to know that it was seething. She shouldn't have been surprised. Daryl had always gone to great lengths to protect her. She could see how she seemed ungratefully reckless. In fact, if she hadn't known herself any better, it looked like she was asking for danger to come find her.

"The hell you doin' here, woman?" he snarled, grabbing her by the upper arm and dragging her away from Randall. "Ya know he can't be trusted! What'd ya say t' him?"

"Nothing," she replied calmly. "I just thought he could use some company. It's not his fault you people have labeled him as the black sheep around here!"

He stared at her with a decent amount of surprise before gently shoving her towards their tent. "Git over there. We'll talk about this later."

"I want to say goodbye to him."

His eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. "What?"

"You heard me," she huffed, making to move back inside the barn.

He stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Git back with the group, Kailey."

She scowled before turning on her heel and leaving. Daryl rubbed his face as he watched her walk away. There was no doubt that he felt something for her but, damn it all to hell, she was a right pain in his ass. She was so naive sometimes. She saw the only the best in every situation and never thought to see the negative. When she did things like this she never thought of danger, she only thought about the good she could try to bring. He couldn't wait to take her some place safe where he wouldn't have to worry. With a smile he realized that his job would never be over.

Kailey would always try to save the world and he would always try to save Kailey.

o-o

She refused to go near the Winnebago. Everyone would pay homage to the sacred trailer every now and again and she would watch them come and go with tired eyes. She would not go near it. It had death written all over it to her. If she hadn't stopped and waited for him to arrive – if she had actually gone and sought him out –would he have survived? Her mind kept playing a scene where she had managed to catch up to him before the walker tore apart his gullet. He would have been incredibly thankful that she had saved him but she would play it off like it was no big deal. But it was a big deal; she hadn't been there to rescue him. And she should have been.

Daryl blocked the van from her line of vision. She looked up at him in acknowledgment.

"You never came to bury him the other day."

She shook her head. She couldn't show her face at that burial knowing that if she had just paid a little more attention that he would be alive.

Daryl knelt down in front of her. "Ya can't do this, Kailey. I ain't gonna let ya shut down like this. Ya gotta think 'fore you go off on yer own like that. Randall is bad news. I can't always be there to watch out fer you."

She scowled and rose to her feet. She knew that he would follow so she wasn't entirely sure why she had bothered to waste her energy. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and spun her around. She couldn't really place the look in his eyes as he stared at her. She merely watched as his blue orbs twitched up and then abruptly looked back down at her.

"When's the last time you had a smoke?" he asked casually.

She grimaced… on the way back from her raid… She was about to have one when she heard Dale cry out for help. They were still somewhere on the ground near that damn camper. She shrugged her shoulders a little. Daryl nudged her forward and wrapped her under his arm.

"C'mon, let's go find 'em. Bet you'll feel better after ya do."

She shook her head vehemently. No. She wanted nothing to do with that mobile home! She knew that the silent treatment wouldn't do her any good. It would only make Daryl angry and make her do something she didn't want to.

"I don't want them," she mumbled into his chest.

He cocked his head in interest. "Well I'll be damned… I never though' I'd hear ya say somethin' like that… Since the day I met ya, you've been puffin' them down like it's the end of the world 'r somethin'."

She scowled. "In case you weren't aware of it, Dixon, it _is_ the end of the world! We're all going to fucking die."

"We ain't dead yet."

She pulled away from him and shook her head. "No… We are…"

He was about to argue that statement when someone began calling his name. He let out an annoyed grunt before turning to look at her.

"I ain't done talkin' to ya. I'll be back in a few."

She rolled her eyes and gave him a military style salute before plopping back down onto the ground, eyeing the camper warily. Maybe if she stared long enough Dale would step out as if none of this had happened. She watched without interest as Carl picked up the various items she had dropped on the ground. He looked up at her and she began to silently pray that he wouldn't feel the need to return them to her. But return he did.

"Randall is gone…" he said plainly, sitting down beside her and holding her possessions out for her to take.

"Oh?" She accepted the cigarettes thankfully if a little greedily. To be honest, she was relieved that he had gotten away.

"Yeah, my dad and your boyfriend went to go look for him."

She stared at Carl incredulously and he offered her a smirk. Great, now the entire crew thought her and Daryl were some sort of item?

"Daryl isn't my boyfriend…"

"Why not? You guys spend an awful lot of time together. And he likes you."

She shook her head and smiled. "No he doesn't, silly kid."

"Yeah he does! He's always looking at you when you're not looking. He smiles a little too. I've seen it!"

She decided to smile for the kid's sake and let him keep thinking that way. Who knows, maybe in some weird way Daryl was her boyfriend. Suddenly she sat a little straighter. "Wait, they are looking for him?"

"Yeah, we're supposed to be staying inside. But that's no fun…"

o-o

The wind whistled softly through the trees as she crept through the underbelly of the forest. Her steps were silent and she found that she was unafraid even in the dark. Daryl shouldn't be out here. It was far too dangerous for him! She would take his place in the search and he would sit at home and wait for her. Then she would tell him about her…

She tenderly brushed her shoulder again, just beneath the base of her neck was where the scar started and where the shoulder connected to her arm was where it ended. He deserved to know. All of them had that right. She was confident in her place with these people. Her family. This was her family now. She owed them an explanation. She would be more valuable now. If she was careful she could ensure safe hunts and better, happier returns. She could join search parties with the ease that she could at least return generally unharmed. That had to mean something to them. Even Shane would be unable to declare her useless now.

The sound of gun shots rang to the south. She stopped as a foul stench reached her nose followed by the thick scent of smoke. A fire? What could possibly be burning? She abruptly turned and began a hurried trek through the woods. Much like the night Dale was taken, she couldn't replace the ill feeling in her chest. Something was wrong… Her family was in jeopardy and she would save them this time.

Her breath was heavy and she panted harder and faster as she raced towards the smell. She could see the fire burning as she reached the clearing. The barn. Surrounding the barn was hundreds of moving corpses. She let out a bloodcurdling shriek and pulled her bloodstained machete from her hip. Strength and energy were no longer an issue.

"Kailey!"

She turned to see Carl and Rick shouting for her. Where was Daryl? She would not leave until she found him.

She shook her head vehemently as her weapon connected with a skull. "RUN!"

Despite Carl's protests, Rick pulled his son from the scene with no further argument. To her left there was a scream. She turned and began to charge ferociously towards the sound, leaping between Carol and a walker, slicing the top of its skull off. She turned to the woman with wild eyes before rushing to Andrea's side. Where did they come from? There were hundreds of monsters trampling across this once safe haven.

And there was blood… so much blood. Much to her surprise she craved to see more. She knew that she was in no position to keep fighting like this, however. Soon the adrenaline would wear off and she would tire. She had to find safety and soon. She needed to find Daryl. She turned to try to usher Andrea away but instead found herself diving into her taking a bite in her stead. Then there was pain blossoming in her side. With an angry scream she stuck her machete into a skull and gasped. Andrea let out a frightened cry before lifting her up.

Kailey shoved her away. "Get going!"

"I'm sorry, Kailey, I'm sorry!" she wailed.

"Don't be! Go!" Andrea did as she was told and scurried for the trees.

Blood continued to ooze from her wound. She had to find a place to hide… before she got bit again. Suddenly she looked up and saw Daryl on his motorcycle. Their eyes locked. He assessed her wounds briefly and she knew that he saw what had happened. She shook her head frantically and ran towards him but he turned away from her. A scream behind him turned him around and he raced to save Carol. Kailey stood dumbstruck for a moment as she watched this transpire before hacking her way through another walker. He had made his choice.

Betrayal burned like a branding iron as she ran from the violent scene.

o-o

The woods were no comfort for her now as she cowered beneath a tree, inspecting her wound. It was a good bite… One of the walker's teeth was still lodged in her side and the bite actually burned now. Her fingers shook as she reached down and began to tug at the incisor wedged in the gash at her side; it was black, for Christ's sake. With a cry she pulled it out, the effort causing her to double over into the fetal position. It was so disgustingly painful that she could barely keep the bile from rising in her throat. She had to clean the wound before an infection set in. Or else she would surely die… She wasn't ready to die yet…

"Over here!" a familiar voice beckoned. "Kailey?"

She looked up as a less than invited figure barreled his way towards her. "Merle?"

"Ye've been bit!" He raised his amputated arm and to her horror she found that it was no longer flesh and bone. No, now there was a strange mechanism covering it. Attached to that was a knife that he was prepared to slice clean through her.

"NO! STOP!" she bellowed, raising her arm over her face. He hesitated for a moment.

"Gimme one good reason I shouldn't," he demanded as a small crowd formed around them. This was a different group than the one that she had first seen with Merle. He was apparently full of surprises.

She gulped before pulling the collar of her shirt down, exposing her scar. "I'm… I-I am…"

"She is immune…" an awe-filled voice murmured behind Merle.

She looked up in confusion as a man knelt down beside her. A man to her surprise looked like Anson Mount with dark hair and scruffy beard. His arms were dirty but just underneath that layer of filth she saw the pink and puckered skin that was still healing, a wound that was shaped just like hers… She stared at him in surprise. There was more of her? More folks who could withstand the bite and only feel ill for a day or two at the most and then be fine? No, that was impossible. As if reading her thoughts, the man pointed to his scar.

"There are more of us than we thought… When you see an eaten body still at rest, it was one of us. Come with me. We will dress your wounds and give you shelter."

She looked behind her. What about Daryl? Shouldn't she try to find him?

No, he had left her to die.

With a lightened heart she reached her hand out to this new family. There was no telling where they would take her or what they would do with her but this was all she had. After all, Kailey was adaptable.

o-o

Daryl rested his head against his knees for a moment. He saw the bite and now he knew that somewhere out there Kailey was hurt, and frightened and alone. He had made the smartest choice available to him in that moment. Somewhere behind him Kailey was dying. He had no choice but to look forward now.

He knew he could never keep her safe.


	12. Blood in the Water

Chapter 12 : Blood In The Water

In all of her life she never would have imagined this. True that in her past she had entertained ideas of being an actress, putting on shows for halls full of admiring fans but this was never how it was supposed to be. She had never once considered that her stage would smell like rot and decay. She wore no makeup to hide the scars that now marred her once perfect and creamy perfection. Her arms and face were covered in mud from the rain the night before. Anticipating this moment, she had run out just after the storm and covered herself in the slimy dirt before retreating indoors.

She grudgingly pushed her bangs over her sweaty brow and huffed, her muscles tensed, waiting to exert just a little more effort than what she was allowing them. She knew to stay still though; one wrong move and she would have bigger problems than her aching muscles. This was no game, honestly. The people in the stands may be cheering and applauding for her and Dax but this was horrible, nasty business. She wasn't reckless and she knew the stakes.

"You know t' be careful," Merle warned. "Don't lose yer head out there. Ya know the rules if ya get bit bad enough. I don't need that on my conscience."

"I _know._"

"Jus' remindin' you. C'mon, lil girl," his harsh, scratchy voice snarled, "git out there!" He squeezed her shoulder gruffly before nudging her towards the bright sunlight. She suddenly became very aware of the machete at her side. Merle was always the last one to speak to her before the Pit.

She nodded before pushing off on her eager legs. It was time to show them all once again what she could or could not do. True she could stand to be bitten but that didn't mean she couldn't be killed. She had to be careful. One bite in the wrong spot and she was surely done. She felt Dax pass her as they cleaned up his mess. They always threw more biters at him. Always.

She glanced around the stands, taking in as many faces as she could before the bell would sound for her. She knew she didn't have very long. There was Mr. Wesser, shouting away with his redneck wife and son. He had never been a big fan of her fighting in the Pit. The Pit; it was home to her now, the building behind was where during the winter she was trained and given the opportunity to fight. To do what she had to do. To be who she was meant to be. Just beside Mr. and Mrs. Wesser was an asthmatic boy named Jody. He seemed to fancy her a little, not that she was proud of that or anything. Up at the top was Martinez, baring his usual weapon across his chest, waiting for things to slip out of her control. Next to him was Andrea, the girl who she had thought to be dead; the only link she had to her past. And above all of this was the Governor. Above Jody, the Wessers, the men, women and children, Andrea and Martinez, the Governor sat in the pinnacle of the stands ready to give the signal; ready to decide her fate.

With a resounding groan the cage opened and they released two walkers. She could hardly stop the grin that crossed her lips. Two was easy, three was a challenge. With a resolved nod of her head, she charged, her machete unsheathed and ready to strike. The first walker was down in but a moment but the second one was a little fresher than the first. It turned to her and let out an eerie rattle before dashing towards her. With a quick dash she narrowly avoided the biter's teeth and gnarled fingers and swung her machete into the base of its skull, twisting up to penetrate the brain.

She looked up at the Governor again, daring him to push her more as she raised her weapon of choice in the air. He smiled at her and motioned for his men to release more biters into her Pit, changing the music that played overhead. She returned his smile with one grim, however prideful, scowl of her own. Governor She would know the tune anywhere, no matter how much time had passed. He must have taken her iPod from her room before the fight.

_"Come out, come out, no use in hiding. Come out, come out, can you not see?"_

She backed up towards the edge of the Pit, carefully inspecting what was tumbling blindly out of the cages. One was hardly able to stand, barely worthy of her efforts but she sliced through it anyways. Upon facing the second she gasped. The surprise made her want to sink into the ground, how in God's name had he found this gem of a body? She backed away, not willing to face the corpse that had now focused its efforts on her. No, it couldn't be! Why on earth would he be here?

"I'm sorry…" she murmured. "You were always my favorite."

The creature mashed his teeth in response as he ran towards her; she ducked out of the way. How could she possibly kill him? She took a hollow breath and poised her weapon, trying to block out the memories that were trying to emerge. She wasn't sure why she was so surprised, anyone could turn so he should be no exception. If she didn't kill him he would try to eat her. She skirted around him once more, trying to make eye contact. A small part of her hoped he knew and understood her words.

"I used to always listen to you on the drive to the beach," she confessed a little shyly. "You were my first concert."

She raised her weapon as he made another fearless and restless attempt for her. It was amazing to think that the words overheard on the speakers once came from this very body. All of the talent and passion that filled her with hope was now trying to devour her. The thought unnerved her as she raised her weapon.

_"Now as I rest my feet by this fire. Those hands once wanted, but I have retired them."_

With a determined sigh she allowed him to attack once more; not avoiding him this time as she crouched low, touching the top of her right boot. Her machete fell to the dirt. She could feel time slow, her heart thudding a song of its own. She could hear Dax and Merle shouting behind her, their boots colliding with the dirt as they raced to stop him.

_ "And I live with my justice. And I live with my greedy need. And I live with no mercy."_

He was getting closer and closer to her. Any moment now…

_"I live with the notion that I don't need anyone but me."_

The moment she felt his touch, she deftly leapt from her crouched position, pulling her knife from her boot and jamming it right into his head. She could feel his dirty blood dribble down the hilt onto her skin; a thousand of brilliant words and chords, dreams and realities spilling out onto her hands.

_"Don't drink the water. Don't drink the water."_

She let out a furious cry as she threw the body off of her. She had done it; she had ended a legacy greater than hers could ever hope to be.

_"There's blood in the water."_

She looked up at Dax and Merle, who hovered over her inspecting the shallow bite mark on her left thigh, with an unstable grin on her face. "Call me a crazed fan girl, but I just got bit by Dave Matthews!"

"Yer an idiot!" Merle growled as Dax lifted her up, hiding her wound in the process. "Yah ain't gonna be able to wear shorts anymore."

She was unable to hide the smirk that spread across her face. "Worth it."

o-o

She skulked around Woodberry with a rotten scowl on her face. Ever since her "incident" in the Pit the Governor decided that she needed a little break from her precious fights. To top it all off, Merle was pissed with her and Dax thought she had lost her marbles. Just fan-flipping-tastic. Sourly, she pulled a cigarette out of her pocket and lit it in the middle of the road trying unsuccessfully to ignore the fact that everyone on the street was staring at her. She wasn't going to humor them today, however. She was on a mission to find Merle. She hadn't seen him in a couple of days which only meant that they had either found somebody new or he was on a supply run.

"Kailey?" a familiar voice called out behind her.

"Andrea," she responded dully, allowing her to catch up with her. She had never been really close to her, even after all the time they had spent with each other.

She looked the same but cleaner and bonier. Kailey reckoned that she looked different to Andrea too. What was once starved and weak had filled out and toned into decent amount of muscle. She was different now, she knew.

"I saw you fight in there… Are you… _alright_?"

Kailey smiled, gently brushing her souvenir from the fight with her musical hero. She was better than alright, she was powerful. This was her calling, her destiny. She didn't have to be afraid of the same things everyone else was. Something about training with Merle and fighting in the Pit had instilled a deep rooted confidence within herself. It was something that she couldn't have learned from anyone else but herself; something that could only come from being immune.

She smiled at Andrea. "I'm totally fine."

Andrea narrowed her eyes. "Can we talk about something?"

"Something like what?"

The woman before took a worried breath, like she had been rehearsing this. "You were bit."

"That's impossible. If I had been bit in the Pit the Governor would have me executed. Don't you know the rules of our game?"

Andrea looked aghast. "_Game_? How could you call something like that a game? And I'm not talking about that."

"Then what are you talking about?" Kailey demanded, sucking on her cigarette.

"That night… at the barn…"

Kailey remembered and wished more than anything she could take the words from Andrea and swallow them whole. She didn't want to remember. She didn't want the reminder of that time. Andrea wasn't supposed to remember this.

"You saved me. I watched you get bit. I saw you _bleed_."

Kailey shook her head, adamantly. "We saw a lot of things that night. I'm pretty sure that wasn't one of them."

Andrea paused, staring at Kailey's side intensely as if it could confirm the truth. The scary part was that it could.

"I'm _fine_, Andrea," Kailey confirmed. "Thanks for asking."

She turned and walked away from her then, heading for the Pit to find Dax. Andrea was a smart girl and she would soon figure out that Dax and Kailey spent all of their time away from the citizens of Woodberry and only really came out for their fights. Her visit to the town had been an obvious blunder on her part, another in a long line of mistakes. She raced through the streets and across the Pit frantically.

"Dax?!" she called when she pushed open the doors but it wasn't Dax sitting at the table.

"Hey, kid," Merle called out. "How's yer bite?"

Kailey placed her hands on her knees and let out a huge breath of air before taking in Merle's appearance. He had bruised knuckles and fresh blood on his undershirt. She knew that look from his version of the fights; he had just beaten the hell out of somebody. She glared at him.

"Who've you been fighting?" she demanded with her hands on her hips like an irritated mother would to a petulant child.

"Don' worry 'bout it," he grumbled, "lemme see yer bite."

"It's fine," she responded, not willing to press either argument further. "That girl hanging around the Governor knows."

"She don't know shit." Merle removed his bloody shirt with his good hand and pointed his knife at her. "Just ignore her."

Kailey scoffed and pulled her curls back. "Where've you been, by the way?"

"Huh?"

"You heard me, dipshit."

Merle let out a snort and headed towards the bathroom. "Been around town doing stuff for the Gov. Nothin' big."

"Which means it is something big and you and Dax won't tell me."

Merle laughed as he shut the bathroom door. "Yup."

Kailey growled in frustration as she left their kitchen and into her room. It was nothing special, just a bed, a dresser and a long mirror. Of course they would have something big going on and leave her out of it. She hadn't been with them long enough, she reasoned. No grounds to trust her despite the fact that she trusted them. She wondered how much they would trust her when Andrea told them that they had once been in a group together.

What if she decided anyone else about her blood? Would they understand? Would they be angry that she could live and others couldn't?

She frowned as she peeled off her clothes, layer by layer until she wore nothing but her bra and panties. She could see them now.

One by her neck: her father.

The one on her side: saving Andrea.

Finally, the newest on her thigh: Dave Matthews.

Her body told a story that only she would know; a story of survival unrivaled by anyone else.

* * *

><p>Gack! That took me so much longer than I wanted it to! In my defense, my trusted laptop shit the bed so I had to buy a new one. I had a rough couple of months but all is well and this story is heading in a good direction! Let me know what you think!<p>

-kimmy


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